


Vigilate Mecum~Watch Me

by Talie48



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Characters React, Characters Watching the Show, Characters watch Attack on Titan, Characters watch their own show, Comment any tags I forgot please, Cute Eren Yeager, Eren Yeager Has Anger Issues, Eren Yeager Has Issues, Eren Yeager Has a Crush on Levi Ackerman, Eren Yeager Has a Nice Ass, Eren Yeager Loves Levi, Eren Yeager is a Little Shit, Eren is the bottom if I write smut, Fluff, German Eren Yeager, Heavy Angst, I'm Bad At Tagging, Levi Loves Eren Yeager, Levi is the top if if I write smut, M/M, Multi, React, Reaction, Watch the show, Watching the Show, characters watch, i cannot tag for the life of me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 34,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29191965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talie48/pseuds/Talie48
Summary: Three days before the 57th expedition the soldiers and cadets of the Survey Corps are sent to a strange room with a screen. They are forced to watch their own show, what will they face as they watch their past present and future? Two in particular are seen to be getting closer off screen ;)
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 30
Kudos: 170





	1. To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo so this is a fanfic of the AOT character watching the show! And reacting I always loved these types of fanfic but was too scared to write one myself so here yeah go I hope you like it, also this fanfic will have ships such as Eren/Levi and etc so if you dislike feel free to not read :D
> 
> This takes place three days before the 57th expedition which is the one with the female titan, all of the members are transported into a room which was like a theatre. This room has a huge screen that practically takes up a whole wall, the chairs are different than you expect. Instead of chairs, it's couches because it’s more comfortable. I'm going to let you imagine how the room itself looks and how the couches are arranged.

"To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1"

**Heyo so this is a fanfic of the AOT character watching the show! And reacting I always loved these types of fanfic but was too scared to write one myself so here yeah go I hope you like it, also this fanfic will have ships such as Eren/Levi and etc so if you dislike feel free to not read :D**

**This takes place three days before the 57th expedition which is the one with the female titan, all of the members are transported into a room which was like a theatre. This room has a huge screen that practically takes up a whole wall, the chairs are different than you expect. Instead of chairs, it's couches because it’s more comfortable. I'm going to let you imagine how the room itself looks and how the couches are arranged.**

**Here is the seating arrangement  
Front   
Erwin, Mike, Levi, Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, Jean, Christa, Ymir,  
Hange, Moblit, Petra, Oluo, Gunther, Eld  
Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie,  
back **

**And if you dislike this seating arrangement that is okay because feel free to think of your own : > now let's get started **

Everyone was sleeping until a loud bang echoed throughout the base, Levi was the first one awake as he was constantly alert. Levi walked down to the dungeon checking to see if Eren was the one causing all the commotion. A second bang echoed through the base however this time the walls shook, Eren woke up. Levi looked around to see what could’ve caused the noise but it seemed it came from nowhere Eren yawned and rubbed his eyes, he looked at the figure in front of him

“Captain?”

“Go back to sleep, false alarm” Levi said with his usual blank face, a third bang was heard, everything went black. 

Eren woke up in a strange room, he was on the floor and studying his surroundings as he came to. Eren looked to his left to see Levi sitting on a couch

“Rise and shine brat” Levi said as he drank his tea with the same blank expression as always, Eren looked to his right and saw Armin and Mikasa, Mikasa ran over to him checking to see if he’s okay. Eren stood up slowly and rubbed his head

“Mikasa I'm fine okay” Eren said quietly as he saw EVERYONE was there. Eren sat down between Armin and Levi, Eren relaxed as he realized the couch was really comfy.

“Where the hell are we” Jean asked the pending question, “and why are we here?” Armin added. Everyone was still pretty tired, Connie and Sasha were half asleep. Hange had her head on Moblits shoulder as she was also tired since tonight was supposed to be the night everyone rested properly. Eren was still rubbing his eyes as he yawned, he felt a warm touch on his thigh and realized it was Levi holding a cup of tea on it.

“Captain?” Eren asked tiredly with confusion, Levi held the glass up to his hands

“Drink this, it'll wake you up” Levi handed the cup of tea to Eren who took it with a small smile and a small blush dusting his cheeks. Armin watched the interaction and thought back to how eren would watch the survey corps come back and eren always watched levi with adoration

“Thank you captain” Levi hummed as his response, not feeling very talkative so late at night. Hange smirked and lifted her head from Moblits shoulder, she looked at Erwin and motioned towards Levi and eren. Erwin nodded with a small smile

**“Thank you for coming”** A voice said, Jean huffed

“We didn’t come here” Jean mumbled, Sasha chuckled at his comment

**“You all will be watching the show “attack on titan” which is your past, present, and future. Yes all of it is real and no I cannot say how I have the footage, sit back and get comfortable because you guys will be here for awhile, any questions?”** The voice explained, Armin was the first to respond

“What is your name? And why are we here?” 

**“You can call me lora, you are here to watch your past present and future”** Armin furrowed his eyebrows at this

“Whose past present and future?”

**“Eren yeager is the main focus at the end of the day”** Eren sunk into himself and groaned, (eren is a bit ooc in this and so is Levi) Levi rose an eyebrow at this

‘This should be fun’ Petra sighed, the lights started to dim and multiple “ooo~” filled the room

**The episode started off completely silent as a yellow sky faded onto the screen, two geese flying by passing scenic clouds. A low, echoing noise grew louder as the two birds were reflected in one large, green eye.**

“Is anyone else already confused?” Connie asked as he looked at the screen

“I wonder what year this was” Erwin murmured

**People on the ground stared up at the sky, all wearing different expressions, a mix of confusion, curiosity, terror as they all looked at one spot.**

Eren tensed up, as did Armin and Mikasa. Eren slowly shook his head as he tightly grasped armins hand. Mikasa held Armins other hand and buried her face deeper into the scarf

Hange, Erwin and Levi took note of this,

Reiner and Bertholdt knew and they held their breath

**A white dog growled, leaning down and barking silently.  
The geese flew by a tower and the camera panned, showing a massive red hand holding onto the top of a fifty-meter wall, steam rising up from behind it. **

A gasp escaped Hange, as she hasn’t witnessed the colossal yet  
“WOW LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS HUNK OF TITA-” Hange screeched making levi slap her on the back of the head to shut up

Hange grumbled and started to sketch what she saw in her notebook 

“Thats scary” Christa shuddered, Ymir wrapped her arm around her 

“Don’t worry my dear Christa, i will protect you” Ymir said was a playful smirk

**Younger versions of Mikasa, Eren, and Armin stared up at it, eyes wide, mouths agape as they stood in the crowd.**

“Ooo~ eren you were so cute” Petra cooed at seeing the young boy

“Yeah you were, what happened” Jean said with his horse smirk

Mikasa glared at jean who gulped in fear, 

“Why are you just standing there?” Oluo said with crossed arms

Petra huffed and turned to the tongue biting man “oh shush Oluo you’d freeze too”

Oluo glowered and mumbled “would not”

Mike responded out loud “would too” Oluos jaw dropped causing Sasha and Connie to cackle

**“On that day, humanity remembered.” People began running and screaming as a massive shadow loomed over the Wall, casting itself over people, squares, streets, and buildings.**  
“That voice-”

“Armin is that you?” Reiner asked

“I'm not sure but it sounds like me” Armin said, his gaze landed on Eren whose eyes were glued to the screen. Armin squeezed Eren’s hand and Eren's eyes turned to meet with Armins

Eren shook his head

He wasn’t okay

**A massive head raised over the top of the Wall: skinless, muscle stretched tightly over bones, brown eyes appraising the humans below coldly.**

“Holy shit.” Eld said

“Its fuckin huge” Jean added

“That's what she-” Connie started but Jean whacked him on the head  
Eren let go of Armin's hand and tightly wrapped a blanket around himself. He ended up leaning closer to Levi who didn’t mind 

Sasha shuddered at the image, and Christa buried herself closer to ymir. 

**“The fear of being in control by them.” Steam rose from the Titan’s face as the camera moved back, showing the larger-than-life creature standing over the city.”The humiliation of being imprisoned.” The camera focused on Eren’s eyes, pupils contracted, wide with horror.**

Eren released a shaky breath

“Why is it so damn quiet” Gunther whispered to Petra who shrugged with a frown

Erwin was looking at Eren, his reaction peaked his interest, he wanted to know what happened to Eren during this time

**Dramatic, choral music began playing as the camera moved, showing the Colossal’s back, and then a bird’s-eye view of the district, the Titan standing at the Gate, steam rising into the air.**

“Woah” 

“Flat ass” Connie whispered, Bertholdt's face turns red causing Reiner to laugh

**The camera shook as a bird flew by it, and, suddenly the scene changed.  
Horses whinnied as they galloped through a forest, kicking up mud as they ran through a large puddle, rain falling in sheets.**

“Was that the scouts? Wait was it THAT expedition?” Eren asked, vividly remembering Moses arm

Levi nodded and wondered how Eren knew, a dark shadow crossed over Erwin's face remembering that day

**A man charged forwards, green cloak flapping as he rode. “All hands, prepare for battle!” he commanded. The camera focused on his ODM box as his horse moved. “There’s only one target! Stop it by any means!”**

Eren and the others leaned forward in interest, Eren's eyes were wide and sparkled as the screen light reflected off of them

Mikasa noticed this and realized how long its been since she saw that

**The camera moved, showing Hange, Moses, and Erwin as they rode. “The gate is**

**mankind’s first stronghold beyond the Walls!”**

“Commander Erwin!!” connie said excitedly as he pointed at the screen

“Look there's Hange!” Krista said smiling

**Erwin started. “Target approaching!” he shouted.  
The camera moved, whipping through the forest to show a large-bellied Titan moving   
slowly through the trees.**

“Sasha that will be you if you don’t lay off the food~” Ymir said causing everyone to laugh except eren, mikasa and levi. Even Erwin let out a small chuckle

**Shadis threw his arm out. “Split into five groups as we’ve practiced!” The horses split, charging around a massive tree. “We’ll be the decoy. All squadrons, engage omni-directional mobility gear! For my brothers!”**

“Wait is that..?” Jean said with wide eyes

“Is that shadis?” Reiner said leaning forward with jean

“He was commander before he quit and Erwin took over” Mike commented

**Moses yanked out his swords and pressed a trigger. His cable anchored onto a tree  
and the camera swept around his mechanism, showing the wire as it was yanked. The Scouts flew into the air, Moses twisting a few times before shooting off-screen.**

“They are showing this guy a lot” Armin said

“I think thats Moses” Eren said quietly

“Why does that matter though?” Armin whispered

“You’ll see” Eren whispered

**Erwin swung forwards, followed by two Squad Members as a group on the ground charged the Titan. “We’ll strike from all directions!” Moses shouted, swinging around a tree. He shouted, pulling out his blades. “We’ll show you the strength of humanity!” The camera moved in on the Titan’s nape as Moses spun in the air, blades slicing through the air before the screen went black.**

“Uh oh” 

“Uh oh indeed” Erwin sighes

**Purple flowers danced as a breeze blew through a field, leaves and petals reflecting the bright sunlight. Suddenly, the image shuddered, flashing, a spray of blood covering it, and a toothy mouth opened wide for a brief second as red continued splashing over the screen.**

People in the room grimaced at the scene

**A wide-eyed corpse was picked up from the ground, and a windmill was shown on a grassy plain. Titans flashed into existence behind it before the scene vanished, the wide mouth opening again in a dark forest.**

“This is very out of the blue… mike said

**A slumped suit was shown in front of a crackling fire before that image was replaced by a child’s bed, covered in toys, sunlight streaming in through a window. An image of four mangled bodies in a rainy forest appearing, a wide eye in a blood-splattered face with a bug crawling over it flashing onto the screen. Dark limbs yanked a limp body from a pile of rubble, and Eren’s eyes flew open with a gasp.**

“You dreamt that?!” multiple people screeched

“It's not like I remember dreaming it!” eren threw his arms up

“You were a weird ass kid” Reiner commented

“What kid dreams this crap” Oluo huffed

**Two black birds burst from a tree, flying away as Mikasa knelt over Eren.**

“Oh Mikasa you’re so cute!” Sasha gushed 

**Eren’s eyes were wide, breaths short as he focused on Mikasa. “Mikasa. Hey.”**

“Eren seems shaken up from the dream” Petra commented

“it was very violent during certain parts…” Moblit responded

**“We should get back,” she said.  
“Um, where are we, exactly?”**

“You didn’t know where you were?” Armin said with wide eyes

“Seriously yeager did you hit your head?” Oluo said only for Petra to hit him on the back of his head causing him to bite his tongue

**Mikasa stood up. “Did you sleep so deeply that you forgot where you are?” she asked.**

“How would that even work?” Connie said quietly

**“I don’t know. . .” he sat up, rubbing his eyes. “The dream I was having went on forever.” A cloud drifted overhead, throwing them into shadow. “What was it about. . ?” He dropped his arm. “I can’t remember.”**

“I mean would you even want to remember a dream like that?” Krista asked

“Hell to the no” Ymir answered

**Mikasa stood, pulling the straps of a load of firewood over her shoulders. “Eren,” she turned to him. “Why were you crying?”**

“I know it was a scary dream but was it really that bad?” Reiner asked

“You know eren for such a stubborn brat i never thought id see the day you cried from a dream” Jean said with a smirk

Eren was going to stand up but then stopped, he wasn’t in his right mind

**Eren started, raising a hand to touch the teary corner of his eye. A gust of wind blew the cloud away, and sunlight streamed back down.**

“You know some of the scenery has been really pretty” Krista commented

Petra hummed in agreement

**Year 845, Shiganshina District.**

“No shit” 

**The scene faded back onto the screen as the camera closed in on a cannon at the top of the Wall.**

**“Listen!” Titans stomped towards the Wall, reaching up to scratch at the surface. “These walls are a bulwark gifted by God!”**

“They are so small compared to the wall, the walls are so big don’t you find it weird? It would take years for them to be built, and with the population number it would take even more time so how were they built?” Connie said with furrowed eyebrows

Hange’s eyebrows rose, 

“Congrats connie you said something smart” Jean said with a smile as he patted Connie's back  
‘He has a point’ Erwin thought

“Those preachers are so annoying” Ymir groaned and threw her head back

“Ymir!” Krista said with astonishment

“What its true” Ymir threw her hands up in a ‘you know i'm right you can't blame me’ type of way

**The camera panned over the Wall to the Interior of Wall Maria. “Don’t let anyone know I was crying,” Eren said as he and Mikasa crossed a bridge over a small stream.”**

“Welp sorry eren we ALL know now” Ymir said playfully

Eren rolled his eyes

“Its okay eren we all know you're just a big little titan baby” Hange leaned over and pinched his cheek, Levi smacked her hand away

**“I won’t,” Mikasa swore. “But crying for no apparent reason. . . you might want your father to look into it.”**

“Mikasa he's not dying” Armin said exasperatedly 

Mikasa scratched the back of her head with her cheeks flushed in embarrassment

**“No way!” Eren protested as they passed through the Gate. “I can’t talk about that with my father!”  
“What are you crying about, Eren?” The two looked up as a Garrison soldier stepped in front of them.**

“You knew garrison soldiers eren?” Erwin asked curiously

“Everyone knew me because of my dad” eren answered quietly   
**“Hey, Mr. Hannes.”  
The rosy-cheeked soldier glanced down at him. “Or did Mikasa get mad at you?” He leaned down, planting his hands on his hips.**

“Is he..?” Mike asked with wide eyes

“His cheeks are flushed” Reiner commented

“Tch getting drunk while on duty?” Levi commented with a look of disappointment, eren looked at Levi, Levi noticed his gaze and looked back. Eren wrapped himself back up with the blankets and looked back at the screen

**“What?” Eren shouted. “Why would I cry? Ugh!” He leaned back, covering his nose. “You smell like a drunk!”**

“Oh god look at all those bottles. They finished three bottles already!” Hange said shocked

“You tell him eren!” Krista cheered him on caused eren to chuckle  
**A few other soldiers laughed from where they sat around a crate, playing cards and drinking from mugs and bottles. “Oh, leave him alone,” a sandy-haired man chuckled, taking a swig from his bottle.**

Jeans jaw dropped “do all of them drink?”

“That's just disappointing” Moblit tutted

**“You’re drinking again?” Eren asked, frowning.**

“Again?!” Gunther yelled

“Disgraceful” Levi growled causing eren to blush, Levi took note of this

“Ohoho you all know what time it is” Jean said with a smirk

“Eren is gonna get maddd” Connie answered with the same smirk

**“You kids care for a swig?”**

“Did he just offer you guys alcohol?” Mike said in a low voice, Erwins shoulders tensed

“Wasn’t the first time” mikasa whispered

“Mikasa don’t-” Armin started  
“But he-” Mikasa stopped talking when she noticed eren looking at her with a stern eye

**Aren’t you on duty?” Eren asked, looking up at him.**

“When crazy kid know better than those damn adults” Jean said resting his jaw on his hand

“They should be ashamed of themselves” Hange murmured

“I mean how sad do you have to be to drink as a soldier while on duty?” Gunther says “i wouldnt call it sad i would call it how stupid do you have to be to not give a damn and put lives in danger?” Eld responded with a sneer as he watched the scene play out

**“Yup!” he grinned, tapping his chest casually with his fist. “Watching the old Gate, we are.” He sighed, putting his hands back on his hips and closing his eyes. “It’s thirsty work, posting sentry all day.” He shrugged. “It’s trivial to have a bit of alcohol mixed with our drinks.”**

“Watching the gate my ass, its not trivial at all” Petra said angrily

Eren sighed as he watched Hannes, he unraveled himself from the blanket and sat normally instead of sitting in a curled up ball. He sat back and draped the blanket over his lap

Eren didn’t notice but Levi put his hand under the blanket and placed it on erens thigh. Eren squeaked in surprised

“Eren you alright?” Armin asks concerned  
Eren nodded with a small smile

**Eren grit his teeth, grip on his straps shaking as he clenched his fists. “How do you expect to fight if you’re so loose on your feet?” he demanded. Mikasa glanced over at him.**

“Eren has more sense than him” Ymir commented

Eren slipped his hand under the blanket and grabbed Levis hand, he moved it off his thigh and held his hand under the blanket

“Armin, mikasa do you think it would’ve been different if hannes wasn’t”

“Eren i don’t think it would've been any different” Mikasa whispered 

**Hannes looked up with a confused sound. “Now, why on earth would I have to fight?”**

Levi raised his eyebrow, “tch what bullshit is this” 

“This was like the worst day for this to happen” sasha said worriedly

“They’ve gotten so lazy they genuinely think they don't have to fight at all?!” Gunther said angrily

**“Why do you think?” Eren snapped. “What if they break through the Walls?”**  
Everyone turned to look at Eren, Eren shifted under their gazes uncomfortably

“What..?” Eren said not getting it

“Dude”

“Its fucking weird that you say that and then boom wall is broken” jean says shocked

“Its as if you unconsciously knew” Hange muttered

**Blood spurted as a merchant chopped a wriggling fish in half.**

“FOOD” Sasha yelled out

“Calm yourself you damn buffet whore” Jean muttered causing connie to burst into laughter

**“Eren, please,” Hannes groaned as the boy glared defiantly up at him. “Don’t shout so suddenly.” He massaged his forehead with a wince as the other Garrison guards watched.**

“Is he that drunk?..”

**“The doctor’s kid has some fire in him!” the other soldier who’d spoken earlier laughed, standing up. He walked forwards to stand next to Hannes. “If something happens, we’ll be sure to hop into action.”**

“Doctors kid?” petra asks 

“My dad is a doctor, he is well known” Eren summed it up

Hange snorts “eren your dad wasn't just well known, he saved shiganshina from a plague” 

Eren scratches the back of his head and shrugs

“Eren do you know where your dad is?” Erwin asked wondering if they could meet him

Eren sighs “nope” 

**“But, you know,” he continued. “There hasn’t been a single incident in a hundred years.”  
“But. . .” Eren clenched his fists. “My father says that it’s times like these that are the most dangerous!”**

“Smart guy” Levi mutters loud enough for Eren to hear, a bang was heard in the room and a kitchen suddenly appears. Levi leaned towards eren

“Go make me some tea” eren nodded and got up. Eren could se the screen from the kitchen  
 **“Dr. Jaeger said that?” Hannes glanced up contemplatively. The camera panned over marketplace as he spoke. “You can’t argue with a man who saved us from an epidemic.” Two blacksmiths chatted with two blushing girls as they hammered a piece of metal. “But this is different.”**

“But in the end its life or death” sasha whispered  
 **He glanced over his shoulder. “As a soldier, you sometimes see them when we’re reinforcing the Walls.” The camera panned over the rooftops and the Wall, which loomed so high above them. “But there’s no way they can do anything to Walls fifty meters high.”**

“God its like they completely jinxed it” Jean groaned

“He probably plays a big part in something later on” Petra says

**“So,” Eren said. “You all have no inclination to fight them?”**

“How the hell is Eren the most mature person in this conversation?” Jean asked

**“Not really,” Hannes shrugged.**

“Sad honesty” Levi muttered as he crossed his legs

**“What?” Eren protested. “Then you should call yourselves the Wall Cleanup Club, not soldiers!”**

“They would be shitty cleaners Eren” Levi said making eye contact with Eren as he came back with a platter of tea

Eren nodded in agreement as he sat down

“Eren you were so sassy oh my god” Hanji laughed  
 **“Not a bad idea!” Hannes chuckled. “However,” he said. “Only in a worst-case scenario are we soldiers deployed.” He looked down at him. “While we soldiers are made fun of and live for free, it’s proof that everyone lives safely in peace.”**

“Not for long huh” Ymir whispered long enough for Reiner and Bertholdt to hear

**Eren’s fist shook with the force that he was clenching it with. “We can sit around idly,” he said quietly. “And just live while we are confined inside these Walls.” Mikasa watched out of the corner of her eye. “But that means we’re no different from livestock.” He stared at the ground, teeth gritted.**

“Eren, did you lose brain cells when you got older?” Jean asked confused

“Hah? Whats that supposed to mean horse face” Eren said with a sneer

“You actually made sense here but now your just-” Reiner smacked his hand over Jeans mouth

“Oh shut it jean the horses in the stables are smarter than you” Moblit choked on his water when he heard Erens come back

**Hannes started at the sight of Eren’s expression, and glanced to the side as the other Garrison members began laughing.**

**“You were right about the kid having courage,” a dark-haired man chortled.**

“I wouldn’t say courage but I would definitely say an abundance of rage” Eld murmured

“Agreed” Gunther whispered back  
**“Though there’s nothing he can do about it,” another one snickered.  
“Uh—yeah,” Hannes grinned uneasily. “Hey, Eren!” he called as the brunet walked away, Mikasa following.**

“Im kinda surprised Eren didn’t try to physically fight him” Hanji said with a smile

“How lowly do you think of me you guys?” Eren sighed 

**“Heh,” the sandy-haired soldier chuckled. “What a strange kid.”**

“More like crazy fucking kid who dreams about titans hes never seen before” Gunthers said

“Wait how did Eren dream about titans if he’s never seen one before?” Eld said with furrowed eyebrows

Hanjis head whipped towards Eren “Eren, do you know when you became a shifter?” 

Eren's mouths opened but he shook his head

**Hannes frowned. “I wonder if he wants to join the Scout Regiment?”**

“Alright raise your hand if you believe Eren would go down to the streets whenever the Survey Corps came back” Reiner snickered

Everyone raised their hands and laughed, Eren groaned

“Its okay Eren we know about your obsession with-” Eren slapped both of his hands over Armins mouth

“Hohoho obsession?” Hanji leaned in

“If you say one more word I will go back in time and make sure that titan swallowed you” Eren threatens, Armin rolled his eyes and turned back to the screen

**Eren and Mikasa walked up a stone path behind a cluster of houses in silence. “Eren,” Mikasa said suddenly. “You should forget about joining the Scout Regiment.”**

“So you knew what you wanted to do since you were a kid huh” Erwin muttered

“You should’ve listened to her y’know” Jean said

**Eren’s eyes widened, and he looked at her. “Why does everybody think they’re a joke?”**

“She's just trying to protect you Eren” Petra said with a sad smile

“I know I just, I couldn’t live a life that was inside the walls” Eren whispered the last part  
Levi looked at Eren with an eyebrow

**“That’s not the issue,” she said. They both stopped as a bell began clanging.**

“Hehe” Armin giggled, Eren glared 

**“The Scout Regiment’s back!” Eren cried as they watched the bell swing back and forth in the tower. “They’re going to open the main Gate.” He turned to her. “We can make it if we hurry. I want a good view!”**

All the adult survey corps members turned to Eren with their eyebrows raised, Eren sunk into the cushion of the couch. 

“So Eren, who was your favorite survey corps soldier?” Hanji said with her glasses flashing

Armin and Mikasa smiled behind their hands, Eren sputtered “I-um-well”

“Oi brat spit it out” Levi said looking Eren dead in the eye, Eren gulped and looked down

“Well?” Mike said also curious

“Erens favorite was Levi” Mikasa said softly, Erens head slowly turned to look at Mikasa with a deadly glare, Eren took his pillow and whipped it at Mikasa

“YAH THAT WAS A SECRET MIKA” Eren yelled as he hit her with the pillow

All the cadets burst out into laughter, Levi had a small smirk on his face which quickly disappeared at he saw Erwin looking at him

‘Your entering dangerous territory’ Erwins eyes told Levi

Levi glared at him ‘I don’t give a damn shitty brows’

Erwin sighed and nodded, Armin decided it was time to stop Eren by tickling him at his sides

“AHSIKDHF” Eren screeched in a high pitched voice

Jean, Connie and Sasha burst out into laughter

“Eren shut the hell up already” Levi said and grabbed Erens arm to pull him down onto the sofa cushion but instead Armin accidentally pushed him onto Levi’s lap.

Eren turned his head to look at Levi and gulped

“Im sorry C-Captain I didn’t-” Levi decided to interrupt Eren

“I don’t care Eren just continue watching the damn show we are wasting time” Levi said with a low voice and Eren nodded, everyone's attention was back on the screen

Levi wrapped his arms around Erens waist and rested his chin on the green eyed soldier's shoulder, Eren relaxed into his touch. Suddenly another loud bang was heard, everyone's seat turned into movie theatre recliner chairs and they were big. Black leather but it was comfortable, Eren ended up lying down with his head on Levi’s chest, Levi’s hand was in Eren’s hair. Neither said anything and no one else did either

“Yo this is hella nice” Reiner whispered to Jean

“I know right like damn we have blankets too” Jean said back with a smile

“They are so fluffy” Petra said as she sunk into her cushion 

**“Uh—” he grabbed her hand and dragged her after him as he ran forwards.**

“Damn Eren you yanked her like a rag doll” Connie muttered

**Hooves clattered on the ground as the Scouts walked into the Walls, some walking, some riding, and others in the wagons whose wheels jolted as they were pulled down the bumpy dirt path. People lined up on the sides of the street, muttering to each other as the Scouts walked by.**

All of the adults soldiers who were in the expedition had a shadow cast over their face, it was a bad expedition. Armin noticed and leaned over to ask Erwin if he was okay

“It was a very bad expedition” Erwin said with a grimace

**“Argh!” Eren craned his neck to look over the shoulder of a woman with a basket full of baguettes. “I can’t see a thing!” He rushed by, bumping into a bald man with a beard and mustache. He hopped onto a crate and stood up straight, grinning, as Mikasa climbed up next to him.**

‘Oh Eren…’ Mikasa sighed as she thought about how happy he was earlier that day

**Erwin rode his horse down the street, two members of his squad behind him. He glanced up as he rode past, spotting Eren’s grinning face. He frowned, looking away, keeping his eyes locked on the path.**

“Do you remember seeing him Commander?” Armin asked

Erwin shook his head regretfully “my mind was prioritized on other things sadly” Erwin said softly

Eren wrapped his arm around levi’s waist without thinking, Levi tensed and relaxed, Levi tightened his hold on Eren and started running his fingers though Eren's hair. Eren's eyes started to close, Levi didn’t even notice. He was too focused on the screen.

**Eren’s face fell as he watched him ride away in confusion.**

Hanji’s heart panged for Eren when he saw the boys smile disappear 

**He glanced back down the street, and his eyes widened with a horrified gasp.**

Mike cringed at the reaction Eren gave

“Hm” Annie hummed  
 **Bloodstained soldiers lined the street as they staggered home: a man with a bandage wrapped tightly over a bloody eye socket limped forwards, an arm tossed over a dark-haired man’s shoulder; a blond man atop a horse had the entire bottom half of his face wrapped up, blood staining it from his nose and cheek; an unconscious man lay in a wagon, head resting on a small bundle of straw, an arm wrapped in a sling and a leg tightly bandaged, his crush ODM gear lying next to him.**

“Back then… was it like this everytime?” Krista asked

Hanji shook her head

“No, but it was worse back then, less resources, less advanced, it was rough” Hanji said 

“How could such a young kid see this and still want to join?” Jean asked

“Pride?” Petra guessed

“Devotion?” Gunther also guessed

“Adoration” Armin said 

“Eren held a deep adoration for the soldiers of the survey corps, he looked up to them, they are were his heroes” Armin added

“I see” Petra said

**Countless more injured soldiers rode behind a wild-eyes man with scraggly brown hair and wrinkles on his forehead.**

“Its weird seeing him with hair” Jean said to Connie

“I'm so used to seeing Shadis all bald with the light bouncing off it” Connie snickered

“It makes sense why he is so tough, probably wants to prevent anything like this happening again so he pushes everyone to grow a thicker skin” Ymir comments and everyone nods to it

**“Only this many returned?” a man asked as they rode by.**

Krista grimaced at the image “so little…” she whispered in shock

**“The rest of them got eaten,” another sighed.  
Eren and Mikasa watched, eyes wide. “That’s what happens when you go outside the Walls,” the first man sighed.**

“I bet Eren didn’t like hearing that” Jean said, Mikasa shook her head

**“Moses? Moses?” The two children looked to the side as an aged woman walked into the street. “Excuse me,” she said, walking up to the Keith. “Where is my son? He should be with you.” She walked up to him, gripping his blood-stained cloak.**

“Poor woman” Petra whispered with sad eyes, her son is probably gone

Sasha grimaced at how the woman looked, complete devastation

“Oh god show anything but this please” Mike whispers covering his face

**Keith’s expression was impassive as he looked down at her. “This is Moses’s mother,” he said. He glanced at a dark-haired, mustachioed man next to him. “Bright it forth.” The old woman staggered back, eyes widening.**

“Uh bring what forth exactly?” Sasha said,Levi hated this part, he looked away and looked down at Eren only to realize he fell asleep. Levi draped the blanket over the two of them and cradled the boy in his arms.

**The man walked forwards and deposited something in her arms. She looked down at the bloody wrap and gasped. Her eyes were wide with horror as she looked up at Keith. He stared back at her and she lifted away the blood-stained fabric.**

“What the actual fuck is that” Jean said shocked, he leaned forward to get a better look. Bertholdt turned green and looked away, Annie cringed but kept on watching

“Is that a piece of him?!” Sasha and Connie screech, Sasha put her potato down

“I think I just lost my appetite” Sasha muttered, Connie, Armin, Mikasa, Jean and Reiner turn to look at Sasha with their jaws on the floor

**A bruised, bloody hand appeared as the wrappings fell away and she gasped with horror, covering it back up, shoulder shaking. “I’m sorry,” Shadis said as she let out a pained sob. “It’s all that was left of him.” The other Scouts were looking away while the citizens watched on.**

“THEY GAVE HER HIS ARM?!” Connie said disgusted 

**The woman collapsed to her knees, clutching the severed arm and wailing openly. Eren’s eyes were wide with horror while Mikasa watched on sadly, brows furrowed. Shadis knelt as the woman began speaking. “Was he useful?” she asked. He started. Tears flowed down the woman’s face as she stared into space, eyes blazing. “Tell me that, despite his missing hand, his sacrifice gave us a better chance!” She finished in a scream, raising her head to stare at Shadis.**

“Oh god” Erwin said as he put his hand over his eyes and curled in on himself

‘That day was all kind of fucks up’ Mike thought with dark eyes

**A breeze blew by, dust and dry blown away as Shadis stared at the grieving mother. “Of course!” he stuttered. His eyes widened as he watched her continue to cradle the limb. “But. . .” his shoulders dropped. “This time. . .” the Scouts were silent as he continued speaking. “No, just like it was before. . .” He grit his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. “It was all futile!” he cried. Tears ran down her cheeks as Moses’s mother stared at him in horror. “Because of my incompetence, I’ve lost my comrades.” The citizens watched in shock and horror as Shadis broke down. “And I wasn’t able to discern anything about them!” Eren’s eyes were wide as he listened to Shadis scream, tear racing down his face.**

“That is really messed up” Jean commented, Armin nodded “and hearing that right after finding out her son is dead?” Armin added

“Look at Eren’s face, I wonder what he was thinking” Connie announced

Everyone turned to look at Eren 

“Oh? He’s asleep” Hange commented as she leaned in with a smile on her face

Eren curled further into Levi’s chest and whined softly, Levi ran his fingers through the brown hair. Petra cooed at Eren

‘How unusual for Captain to act like this’ Petra thought

“Brat shouldn’t even be touching captain” Oluo muttered bitterly

“Captain” Mikasa whispered softly, Levi looked at her in response

“You should wake up Eren, he needs to see what happens next” Mikasa said softly, bracing herself for Erens reaction at seeing his mom again

**“How outrageous,” a man said as the last wagon rolled away.**

Sasha roller her eyes at this, Levi whispered in Eren's ear “oi wake up” Eren grumbled and shook his head. Levi sighed and jabbed two fingers into Eren’s side. Eren shot up glaring at Levi

“Make your next move wisely brat if you want to keep your head” Levi said, leveling his eyes with Erens. Eren sighed and sat up, the chair moved to make everyone sit upwards but at a slant for comfort. Currently Eren was sitting thigh to thigh with Levi, the chairs were big enough to fit two people. Levi poured himself another cup of tea and continued to watch the screen. Eren sighed and decided to watch too, he decided he would talk to Captain Levi later.

**“Absolutely,” another man grumbled. “It’s as if our taxes go towards keeping those bastards fed.” He shouted, spittle flying from his mouth as a stick smacked his head. He grunted, grabbing his skull and looking to the side to see a furious Eren, still wielding the branch. “You little brat!”**

“BAHAHAHAH” Hange burst out into laughter, Levi nodded with a smirk. 

Connie, Jean and Sasha were cackling, “you get him Eren!” Petra said with a smile

Krista and Ymir were smiling too

Erwin looked at Eren on the screen and just couldn’t stop thinking about how Eren was so devoted to the scouts ‘how come it doesn’t phase him’ Erwin thought

**Eren raised his stick for another blow, but, before he could do anything, Mikasa’s hand shout of from around the corner and grabbed him, yanking him away.**

“Aw I wanted to see Eren fight” Connie whined

“I think we all know how that would go” Ymir said with a smirk

“Hey!” Eren said offended

“Is she wrong?” Armin said to Eren with a smile

Eren grumbled out a small no

**“Oi!” Eren cried, arms flailing as she dragged him away, his heels digging into the ground. “What are you doing?” he demanded as she soldiered on. “Mikasa!”**

“Damn Mikasa has muscle” Ymir said, Krista nodded in agreement

“Was Mikasa always so strong?” Jean asked, Mikasa thought back to that day in the cabin, Mikasa sighed and buried herself in her scar

‘Is it a sensitive topic?’ Jean thought as he looked at Mikasa

**“Hey!” the man shouted, darting into the alley. “Come back here  
“All right, I get it!” Eren protested. “Stop, already!”  
Mikasa grunted and swung Eren forwards, tossing him into the side of a building. He shouted as he crashed into it, landing on his stomach, firewood scattering all over the place. Mikasa walked forwards calmly as he got to his knees. “Oh, great!” he groaned. “Now the kindling’s everywhere!”**

“Woah” Connie said, Sashas jaw was on the floor “she threw him like a rag doll” Sasha said

Levi observed this ‘unexplained strength…’ he thought, Levi looked over at Hanji to see her writing down notes, Levi whispered to Hanji 

“The hell are you doing” Levi looked down at her messy notes and back at her, Hanji’s eyes were darting back and forth across her notes

“She is trying to figure out why Mikasa has so much strength and Eren doesn't” Mike answered, Hanji started mumbling 

“How-it doesn’t make any sense, same size, height… how could she pick him up like that and throw him that far” Hanji growled in frustration and sighed,

“Maybe something will explain it later on” Hanji said as she decided to let it go and just watch the show. Mikasa overheard this comment and tensed up ‘god please don’t show that day in the cabin’ Mikasa prayed

**“So,” she said. “Are you still bound and determined to join the Scouts?”**

Eren groaned at this, “So Mikasa really didn’t want you to join the scouts” Jean said wistfully,

Eren nodded at this “she was very against the idea” he said

**He looked up from his frantic quest to collect the sticks. She didn’t break eye contact as she kept staring down at him.  
He looked away, brows furrowed. “Just help me pick these up.”  
She walked forwards, kneeling next to him. “There’s not much to help.”**

“Ouch” Eld muttered, he felt the second hand embarrassment from that and judging the others faces they did too

“Poor Eren” Krista muttered, Ymir rolled her eyes at how soft Krista is

“Damn Eren, she really-” Jean started but Connie elbowed him before he said something stupid

**Eren and Mikasa walked up the stairs to the Jaeger’s house. “Hey, we’re home,” Eren said as he pushed open the door.**

Eren and Mikasa gripped their arm rests and tensed up, they both sat forward bracing themselves for what they were going to see. 

Armin looked at them sadly and decided to switch seats with Mikasa so she could be closer to Eren during this. Eren and Mikasa’s hands immediately met and held onto each other tightly. The adults observed this and frowned, Erens resolve and walls breaking right in front of them. Levi looked at Eren and put his right hand on Erens back in comfort. 

**“Welcome home, kids,” Carla said as she ladled soup into bowls. Grisha glanced over his shoulder, pausing in his writing, and smiled.**

Eren went completely still. Everyone was watching the screen. Mikasa and Eren's eyes glazed over, Eren was trembling and closed his eyes as he breathed in

“Waaaa you guys have geese hanging on the ceiling, you guys had MEAT” Sasha said with drool down her chin

Levi ‘tch’ed in disgust at her and threw a napkin at her, Sasha wiped her face avoiding Levi’s gaze

“Shiganshina is pretty poor so how do you guys have such nice meat, and your house it huge” Jean asked

Eren was too focused on the screen to answer

‘I never thought I’d hear her voice again’ Eren and Mikasa thought, Eren opened his eyes and turned to Mikasa, the two interlocked arms over the armrest and released a shaky breath.

Armin held Mikasa's right hand and squeezed it, Mikasa squeezed back as a thank you

**The wood clattered as Eren dumped it into a box. “Wow, Eren,” Carla said, Mikasa pumping water into cups in the background. “You worked unusually hard today.”**

“What work-” Jean started but Petra interrupted him “not now Jean looks at them” Petra whispered. Jean looked over at Mikasa and Eren, he shifted guiltily and turned back to the screen.

**Sure,” he said, glancing to the side. Carla leaned down and pinched his ear. He winced, pulling out of her grasp and rubbing it. “What was that for?” he asked.**

Eren let out a small gasp, deeply wishing he could feel her soft touch again. Eren and Mikasa held each other tightly, white knuckles and shallow breathing

**“Your ears are red,” she smiled. “Which means you’ve got something to hide. Mikasa helped you again, now, didn’t she?”**

“Well that's good to know” Levi said with a smirk, his comment loosened the high running tension in the room. Eren chuckled, 

“She always knew, but she never seriously scolded me for it, she-” Eren couldn’t continue, he choked as his throat closed off due to the oncoming breakdown, Eren took in a deep breath and kept on watching. Mikasa couldn’t react, she just held onto Eren.

Reiner and Bertholdt were shaking at the scene, knowing what they caused. Reiner kept on reminding himself they were the good guys and that they had to do this. Annie was clenching her fists, nails digging into her palm with guilt.

“You look just like your mother Eren” Petra said softly, Eren’s head whipped to turn to Petra, Eren could speak so he nodded with a watery smile

“You really do, same face but just different eyes” Hanji added, she also took note of the eye colors in Eren's family, they were rare. Hanji whispered to Mike

“Don’t you think its a bit weird how Erens families eye color are so rare, look at Erens green blue vibrancy, his dads are more dulled but look at his moms, they are practically a honey yellow” Mike hummed at her comment, 

“More important question, does Eren's mom side of the family have any important history?” Erwin butted in and asked, Hanji looked at him with wide eyes realizing they knew absolutely nothing about Eren's family.

**Orange flowers grew below the window of the dining room. “Hey, where are you going, Dad?” Eren asked, scraping out his bowl. “Work?**

**“Yes,” Grisha said, tapping his books into a neat pile. “Some people in the interior.” He put them into his bag. “I should be back in a few days.”**

“Your dad would go to the interior?” Jean asked shocked, Eren cleared his throat and nodded 

“yeah he would go often, he had important patients” Eren said softly

“Did he ever teach you about medicine and medical information?” Hanji asked excitedly

Armin chuckled at this, “Oh yes he did” Armin answered with a smile, Hanji got more excited at this

“He made me learn it no matter how much I didn’t want to” Eren huffed at the memory

“We could use more doctors Eren” Moblit said with a smile, Eren hummed at this

“Tch the brat has enough on his plate he doesn't need anymore” Levi said as he rolled his eye, but also curious as he wanted to see Eren in action as a doctor.

**“Hm,” Eren lifted the bowl to slurp up the remaining contents.**

“food…” Sasha said with a dreamy smile

Mikasa knew what was going to happen next, she squeezed Eren's hand as an apology and he reciprocated it.

**Mikasa was silent as she poked her soup. “Eren’s thinking about joining the Scouts,” she said suddenly.** “

Wasn’t that a bit harsh?” Petra asked, Gunther and Eld nodded in agreement

‘She hoped his mom stopped him’ Erwin thought and looked at Eren now ‘but it didn’t’

**Carla gasped, turning around, and Grisha froze, looking up. Eren stared at Mikasa, jaw agape. “You said you wouldn’t tell!” he cried indignantly, tossing the bowl and spoon on the table.**

“Oh god” Eren whimpered, he didn’t want to hear the argument he had with his mom.

Mikasa looked at Eren, “Im sorry Eren” Mikasa whispered. Eren clenched her hand tightly and didn’t respond. 

Erwin watched the interaction closely ‘what was she apologizing for?’

**“Eren,” Carla bustled around the table. “What are you thinking?” She grabbed his shoulders. “Do you know how many people have died outside those Walls?” she demanded.  
“I know that!” he shouted.**

Eren cringed at his younger self, “no no no please don’t yell at her” Eren muttered, he let go of Mikasa and hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. 

Nobody spoke, the tense in the room was high and it wasn’t time for any comments  
 **“So why—” Carla’s voice rose.**

Eren and Mikasa flinched at their mom’s voice

**“Eren,” Grisha interrupted, and both mother and son looked at him. “Why do you want to go beyond the Walls?” he asked.**

“Nice timing” Levi muttered, Eren sat back against the seat next to Levi. Levi moved his hand from Erens back when he sat back and grabbed Erens left hand. Erens breath shuddered at the contact, his ears burning red. Mikasa noticed the interaction, her eyes widened but she didn’t say anything.

‘Good question’ Erwin thought

**Eren set his jaw. “I want to know what the world is like beyond those Walls,” he said. Grisha watched as he continued speaking. “I can’t stand having a life confined behind those Walls. Also, if no one survives here. . .” Mikasa watched as he grew more passionate. “All those lives we lost would be for nothing!”**

“Thats…” Jean said shocked at Erens answer

“Well said brat” Levi said as he held Eren's hand, Eren whispered “thank you”

“Eren really had his dreams set already” Eld said with a smile

“You know Eren that might be the most sane thing I have ever heard you say” Ymir said with a chuckle

**Grisha looked up, the sunlight reflecting off his glasses. “I see.”**

“Your eyes almost look the same but yours are more green from the yellow of your moms” Petra observes

“I guess, I never really thought about my eyes” Eren said a bit shocked

“Really?” Krista said astounded that he never thought about them

“Yeah I mean why would I?” Eren said confused, Levi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose

“Because you have really fucking bright eyes” Levi said to Eren, Eren sputtered

“Uh-erm-thanks?” Levi squeezed his hand as a your welcome

**Eren’s eyes widened and he looked up at him in confusion. “It’s time for me to go,” Grisha said, standing up. “I’ll be late for the ferry.”**

“Wait so he doesn’t care that you wanted to be a scout?” Jean said confused and shocked that Erens dad did nothing

“I don’t really know, I think he was fine with my answer?” Eren said as he shrugged

“Can you imagine if Eren didn’t want to be in the scouts?” Armins said as he tried to fathom the idea

“Nope” Jean said with a smirk

**“Darling, wait!” Carla protested as Eren watched Grisha leave. “Set this boy straight!”**

**“Dear, please,” Grisha said as they stood in the doorway, and he put on his hat. “Mere words won’t hold back the boy’s curiosity of the world.” Carla raised her hand, but was interrupted as Grisha turned around. “Eren,” he said. “When I get back, I’ll let you in on what I’ve been secretly doing in the basement.” He reached into his shirt and pulled out a thin golden key on a string around his neck.**

“The basement” Hanji's glasses flashed as she pushed them up, Erwin nodded 

“hopefully we can find out what secrets it holds” Mike muttered

“So your dad never let you go down into the basement?” Gunther asked, Eren shook his head no “My dad would always go down there to do work but he never told me what was down there” Eren said

**Eren’s eyes widened and he grinned. “Really?” The key shone in the sunlight, and Grisha snatched it back, tucking it into his shirt.**

Eren touched the key around his neck, and gripped it tightly

“Eren do you remember when you got the key?” Erwin asked since the scene doesn’t show Erens dad giving it to him. Eren thought for a second before he shook his head.

“So it seems Eren did see his dad after the fall of Shiganshina, well well Eren are you lying to us?” Ymir said as she turned to the green eyed boy. Eren paled

“No, why would I lie, I don’t remembe-” Eren gasped as fragments of memories filled his head. Eren grabbed his head in pain and hunched over, flashes of the injection and his father filled his vision

“Eren!” Hanji yelled as she ran over to him, she checked his eyes, they were extremely dilated. Hanji pinched his neck in hopes of reaction, Eren gasped as Hanji touched his neck. Eren pushed Hanji away and breathed heavily, “Sorry Hanji” Eren said as he realized what he did

“Its okay you weren’t aware” Hanji said, grabbing her notebook and writing down what happened once she said it down. Levi rubbed Eren's hand with his thumb and continued to hold it  
 **“Have a good trip!” Eren waved as Grisha walked down the rocky steps.**

“There were so many homes” Eren whispered, Armin's eyes glistened seeing the old neighborhood.

**Carla turned to him. “You’re not allowed,” she said.  
“Huh?”  
“This ridiculous idea about the Scout Regiment,” she said.**

“Oh Eren please shut up” Eren said to his past self that was on the screen, Eren looked away unable to watch it. Instead he focused on Levi’s hand and observed the long pale fingers, nails perfectly clean some veins bulge more noticeable when his hand moved. Eren started to massage Levis hand, Levi didn’t stop Eren because it felt nice.

**“What?” he demanded, turning to her. “Ridiculous? It seems even more ridiculous to live your life like livestock!” Carla held a hand out to him, but he turned, running down a side street.**

Armin and Mikasa cringed, Armin looked at Mikasa to whisper “This fight could’ve been avoided” Mikasa nodded looking at the floor. Mikasa turned to apologize to Eren, she tapped his shoulder (Lets pretend Armin, Mikasa and Eren know german from his dad, im using google translate so Im sorry if it aint accurate)

“Es tut mir Leid Eren”(I am sorry Eren) Mikasa said softly in german, Eren turned to Mikasa and stopped massaging Levi’s hand. Levi noticed the language change

“Ich vergebe dir” (I forgive you) Eren whispered back, Levi wondered what language they were speaking but decided to stay silent. Eren held Levis hand and focused on the screen again.

**“Eren!” She held out her hand futilely as he disappeared around a corner. She lowered her hand, brows furrowed. “Mikasa,” she said as the girl walked down the steps, seizing her shoulders. “That boy is looking for danger,” she said, eyes wide and desperate. “When he’s in trouble, you have to help him.”**

Multiple peoples eyes widened

“So that’s why” Armin said quietly, he turned to look at Mikasa who was looking at the ground

“Is that why you protect me” Eren said to Mikasa shocked, Mikasa nodded and turned to Eren

“I promised her” Mikasa said in a small voice, Eren looked conflicted when he heard this

**She nodded. “Yes.”**

“No hesitation at all” Erwin said to Hanji

“Its a strange attachment she has to him” Hanji observed

**“Heh!” The camera looked up at the blue sky as a scuffling noise sounded through an alley. “Where’s the sacrilege now, huh?”**

“Oh no” Armin said groaning as he readjusted himself in his seat, Erwin saw this and decided that Armin was going to show up next on the screen

**Armin made a pained noise as he was slammed into a wall. “Why don’t you hit back, if you’re aggravated?” He reached up to grab weakly at bully’s hand.**

“You were bullied?” Erwin asked darkly, Armin nodded with red ears in embarrassment. Eren clenched his fist harshly at the memory and remembered how Armin would get beat up before they could come and help him.

“People saw me as a weak kid so I was an easy target” Armin explained 

**He winced, glaring up at him. “No, I won’t do that,” he said. “If I do,” he continued defiantly. “I’ll stoop down to your level!”  
“What did you say?” the boy snarled, raising a fist.  
“You actually know I’m right,” Armin said, a red mark on his cheek, tears in the corners of his eyes. “But you can’t deal with it, so you resort to violence.” The bully scowled, twisting his lip. “That pretty much means you’ve surrendered to me!”**

“You know Armin I commend you for fighting back verbally but your ass is still gonna get beat” Ymir said with a grimace

“Yeah Im sorry too Armin but this is like asking for it to happen” Connie said with a bit of cringe on his face

**The boy grit his teeth. “Shut your mouth!” he shouted, raising his hand.**

**“Back off!”**

**“Uh?” The boys started, looking to the side.**

**“It’s Eren!” one shouted as he ran forwards, glaring at the boys.**

“Ohoho? Seems like we will see a fight” Jean snickered, Armin gave a small laugh at this part, they were afraid of Mikasa, not Eren

**“Are you back for more?” one sneered.**

“For more?” Reiner said not really knowing if his comment was even a question

**“Maybe he hasn’t learned his lesson,” the first boy leered.  
“I’ll get him good, this time!” The third boy started, holding a hand over his eyes. “Huh?”  
“M-Mikasa’s with him!” The dark-haired girl ran behind Eren, arms trailing behind her, barely breaking a sweat, eyes dull and filled to the brim with the promise of eternal torment.**

“AHAHAHAHA” Connie and Jean burst into laughter, almost everyone was laughing. Reiner chuckled at this   
“Holy shit Mikasa looks scary” Hange gasps with a smile, Mikasa lowered her head in embarrassment 

**The first boy gasped in horror, stumbling backwards. “Run!” The boys screamed as they flailed their arms, racing in the other direction.**

More people laughed at the scene, Mikasa scared those boys shitless

**Eren panted as he skidded to a stop. “Those guys saw me and ran!” he declared proudly as Mikasa walked up behind him.**

Erens covered his face in embarrassment as his ears burned, Levi rolled his eyes at this and whacked Eren on the back of his head

“Ow what was that for” Eren said rubbing his head offendedly

“For being a dumbass” Eren was speechless at his response

“Oh Eren” Petra said with a small smile, Sasha face palmed at this

**Armin stood up and wince, dropping back to his knees with a gasp.**

Erwins face darkened at this, seeing Armin hurt

“Was it always this bad Armin?” Moblit asked

“Sometimes, it varied” Armin said remembering the pain causing him to rub his arms

**“Are you okay, Armin?” Eren asked, walking forwards.**

**Armin started as Eren held out a hand, then looked away, mouth tense. “I can stand up by myself.”**

Erwin observed Armins character and nodded approvingly, Levi’s eyes narrowed at this though ‘will he decline help during something drastic?’ he thought

**The three sat on the bank on the river as the sun set. “So they heard me rattling on about how mankind’s future lay beyond the Wall,” Armin said as a man rowed a gondola past. “So they started beating me.”**

“Im sorry what?” Connie said shocked

“They beat you up over something that stupid?” Jean asked, 

“People don’t like ideas they can’t fathom” Erwin said, remembering his father saying it before he “died in an accident”. It wasn’t an accident and Erwin knew it.

**“Idiots,” Eren grumbled, tossing a stone into the river. “Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t people just let us dream?”  
“We’ve survived for a hundred years within these Walls,” Armin replied. “The whole time we’ve lived quietly as to not get their attention. So,” he continued. “To maintain our peace, it’s a taboo to have interest in what is beyond the Wall.”**

“Armin you were really smart for your age” Hanji complimented, Armin turned red and thanked her

“How did you know that much at such a young age” Erwin asked Armin curiously, a shadow cast over Armin's eyes 

“My parents were killed for trying to leave the walls” Armin said darkly, Everyone's heads whipped towards Armins in shock

Hanji wrote this down in her notebook wanting to ask questions but Armin beat her to it

“I’d rather not talk about it please” Armin said softly

**Eren looked away. “Well, I’ll be risking my own life. I can choose what I want to do with it.”**

“Damn Eren you really are a suicidal bastard” Jean sighed

**“There’s no way in hell,” Mikasa snapped. The boys looked at her. “No way,” she said, quieter.  
“Wait a minute!” Eren said, scowling. “You ratted me out to my father!”**

“You are so sassy Eren” Jean groaned and Connie chuckled

**“Huh?” Armin looked at him.  
“I never promised you anything,” she said, looking away.**

Jeans eyebrows rose at the surprising sass that Mikasa spouted

**“How did it go?” Armin said quickly as Eren grit his teeth.**

“Always count on Armin to cut in at the perfect time” Sasha said gratefully

**“They weren’t happy about it,” Eren admitted.  
Armin sighed. “Not surprisingly,” he said. Leaves rustled on the ground before being blown away as a breeze blew by, and the clouds moved swiftly overhead. “I wonder,” Armin said. “About those who believe there’s a real, secure future living within these Walls.”**

Levi thought about the underground and sighed 

“The only future is a one in a cage” Levi muttered, Eren heard and nodded at this

**“Mama!” A beaming father watched as a little boy ran towards his mother.  
“Just because the Walls haven’t been breached in a hundred years,” Armin said, eyes bright and intense as he stared at the ground. “The guarantee that they won’t break through today. . .” Children laughed as they played in a schoolyard. “Just doesn’t exist.”**

Armin, Mikasa and Eren tensed up

“Okay what the fuck, now Armin predicts it too?” Jean says with furrowed eyebrows

“Realistic kid” Levi said

“I wish I was wrong” Armin said with a choked voice

**A mother stood on a roof, cradling a small, blond-haired baby, as sheets billowed on a clothesline  
The wind stopped, and the sheets grew still. The camera focused on the Wall as two geese flew by, the sky a rainbow blend of colours in the setting sun, the clouds forming a circle over the Gate.**

“Wait look at the clouds” Hanji said quickly

“The lightning that comes from transforming,” Erwin muttered

**Not a sound was heard.**

“Oh I don’t this silence” Sasha said shaking her head

Bertholdt held his breath and gripped the arm rests

No one said anything else

**A sudden burst of yellow lightning struck the earth right in front of the gate. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa yelled as they were jolted into the air, and other people around them cried out, stumbling as the earth shook. A sign creaked as it was thrown around, chain squeaking, and a cloud of embers and smoke rose from beyond the Wall.  
“What was that?” Armin asked, standing up, touching his head gingerly. “An explosion?”**

Eren, Mikasa and Armin automatically held one others hands, Levi gripped Erens free hand tightly.

**“Over there!” a man shouted, pointing.  
“Did something fall?” another man asked.**

“If only” Mikasa whispered sadly, Eren shuddered

**“Armin, what are you doing?” Eren asked as Armin ran towards the Wall, following the crowds of people. Eren and Mikasa ran after him.  
“What is it?” Eren asked as they caught up to Armin, who stood amongst other citizens as they stared up at the Wall. "What are you looking at?”  
He gasped.**

Everyone flinched at the sound of Erens gasp, the horror shown in Eren's eyes haunted Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie

Krista hid herself in Ymir's side, preparing herself for the worst

**Dark, choral music began playing as the camera moved up, to where a massive red, skinless hand clutched the top of the Wall. The fingers gripping it tightened, and chunks of stone flew through the air.  
“No!” Armin gasped. “That’s impossible! That wall’s fifty meters high!” The three stood on the ground, tense, staring up in horror.  
Eren’s eyes widened, his breathing shaky and uneven. “It’s one of them.” **

Levi looked at Eren and thought ‘why isn’t he afraid of titans now’

**A massive shadow rose over the town as the Colossal Titan raised its head, steam rising from its skinless face. “A Titan!”**

No one said a word, Hanji was sketching what she saw as fast as she could. Eren clenched Mikasa’s hand tightly

**Dramatic music played as the Colossal gripped the top of the Wall and pulled its foot back. It looked up, brown eyes cold as he brought his leg forwards. The Gate exploded, the force combined with the steam from the Titan sending people flying back. A woman screamed as her baby was torn away, and she was knocked away by a flying rock. Glass and stone shattered as chunks of the Wall crashed into buildings, tearing them apart. A massive wave of dust engulfed the town, ripping buildings apart and blowing people and objects alike away. People screamed as they turned to run, the top of a tower slamming into the ground, crushing a man like a bug. More dust geysers erupted from the city as rubble flew through the air. Blood sprayed through the air as one of the boys who’d been bullying Armin was crushed by a boulder.**

The shiganshina trio paled, tears flowed down their faces, no noises escaped them. A few of the others were trying not to cry, it was so violent. This day was a tragedy

**The camera moved back as countless smaller Titans began walking forwards, all headed towards the hole in the Wall. The Colossal shrank down, steam rising as its head disappeared below the top of the Wall.**

“Where did it go” Hange whispered in confusion, 

**“I-It blasted a hole.” Armin was on the ground while Eren and Mikasa stared up in mute horror.**

‘We are the good guys they are the devils’ Reiner reminded himself, Bertholdt and Annie were shaking

**Footsteps pounded on the ground as a blond-haired Titan stomped through the hole. It stopped, turning to look at the crowds of people on the ground, and they screamed, turning to run. “They’re coming in!”**

Eren closed his eyes and took in a deep breath knowing what's going to happen. He let go of Mikasa's hand. He let go of Levi’s hand. Levi watched Eren closely knowing the worst is about to come. Eren brought his knees up to his chest with his hands gripping his hair tightly

**“The Titans are coming in!”  
Armin started walking backwards. “We have to go,” he said. He gasped. “Eren!”  
Eren stumbled forwards against the tide of people, eyes wide. “Our house is in that direction!” A woman knocked into his shoulder. “My mom!” Mikasa gasped, running after him.**

A gasp left eren's mouth as he clenched his teeth and shook his head.   
Levi winced, he looked around and almost everyone was crying except Annie,Reiner, Mike, Erwin and him. Bertholdt had tears running down his face. Levi looked at that trio suspiciously

**“Mikasa!” Armin cried, reaching out a hand. He froze, staring at his shaking arm. He reached forwards, grabbing his own wrist. “This is the end,” he said quietly. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. “Our city is going to be destroyed by all those Titans!”**

Armin held onto Mikasa tightly, both of them shaking as they mourned for the death of their home

**Eren and Mikasa ran down the street, crashing into people as they went. A little boy clung to his mother as she sobbed, grabbing at the bottom half of a crushed man. Eren’s eyes were wide with horror as he watched the destruction and carnage around him. Our house couldn’t have been hit. He panted as he looked forwards again. If I turn this corner, my house will be there like always.**

Hange covered her mouth with her hand as she heard this. Annie and Reiner saw their vision blurring with this, even they questions if they were the good guys anymore.

“Pause the video PAUSED THE VIDEO” Eren jerked forward as he screamed, more tears ran down his face. Erens sad cry triggered something in Levi, he needed to protect Eren but he didn’t know how. 

**He let out a horror-struck gasp as they rounded the corner. Mikasa’s eyes widened as he ran forwards. “Mom!” he screamed.**

Annie flinched at this, everyone knew what was going to happen

Eren started to breath harshly and shook his head wishing it would stop, Mikasa gripped Armin tightly as he did also.

**The house was decimated—a boulder had crashed straight through the ceiling, and the foundations had been crushed to rubble, the ceiling caved in on itself, heavy beams lying on top of each other. “Mom!” Carla’s eyes flickered open and she looked up from where she was trapped beneath two beams.**

“No,” Levi whispered with wide eyes, this was just cruel.

Eren let out a strangled sob seeing this image again, he didn’t want to see this again

Krista was openly crying into ymir's shirt who was watching with wide eyes

**“Eren!”**

“M-mom” Eren said with a choked voice, Levi grabbed Eren and placed him between his legs. Erens back hit Levi’s chest, he wasn’t sitting on his lap. Levi wrapped his arms around Eren and held him tightly. Eren was shaking, too lost to know what was going on

**“Mikasa, grab that end!” Eren said, kneeling next to the beam. “We’re going to lift the beam!” They both grunted as they pulled with all their might, shoulder quivering as they tried to move the beam.**

‘She's not going to make it…’ Petra thought sadly

‘No two humans could lift that alone’ Levi thought

**Eren froze and he looked to the side as the ground shook with the force of massive footsteps. Titans walked through the destroyed city, every step making tiles shake from roofs and the earth quiver. A tall, blonde-haired Titan walked forwards, a massive smile on its face.**

Gasps filled the room seeing the smiling titan

“Thats a monster” Connie choked out

Eren growled at the screen seeing that smile, Levi noticed the change in reaction but knew it wouldn’t stay that way

**Eren grit his teeth. “Let’s hurry, Mikasa!”**

**“I know!” They continued pulling at the beam, teeth grit, limbs quivering.**

‘They’ve run out of time’ Hange thought

‘Its over’ Moblit thought gripping Hange’s hand tightly

**“It’s them,” Carla whispered, eyes wide. “The Titans have breached the Wall.” She looked at Eren. “Eren, you’ve got to get out of here! Take Mikasa and run!”**

Sasha let out a cry and hugged Connie tightly unable to bare the scene

Jean covered his mouth with his hands as he was hunched over trying to not let out any noise while tears wet his face

Eren sobbed hearing his mom cry out

“I should have- I should have” Eren gasped but Levi tightened his grasp on the boy “Shh Eren there was nothing you could do” he whispered in his ear. 

**“I want to run!” he cried, pulling harder. His fingers were soaked red as he pulled at the wood, harsh edges digging into his skin and tearing at his nails. “But you have to get out of here!” The beam shifted and jolted.**

Erwin rubbed his face at this, hearing this come from a small boy who’s trying to save his mom when she knows she can’t be

Mikasa brought her knees up to her chest but never let go of Armins hand

Armin knew the world is cruel but this is horrific, he never understood why Eren hated titans so much. He always pretended he did but now he understands

**“My legs have been crushed,” Carla said, eyes wide as she stared ahead blankly. “Even if you could get me out of here, I can’t run.” Eren’s eyes were full of tears as he stared at her in horror. “Don’t you understand?”**

Eren sobbed out “No I DON’T” Eren thrashed in Levi’s hold but Levi didn’t budge, Levi flinched at hearing her cry

“She wants them to leave her there” Sasha cried out Connie held onto her as he was in hysterics

**“I’ll carry you!” he screamed.**

Mike felt wetness on his cheeks but didn’t move ‘that titan is going to kill her won’t it’

**“Why won’t you just shut up and listen to me for once in your life?” Carla demanded, tears flying from her eyes. There were tears in Mikasa’s eyes as she grabbed the beam. “I’m asking you to do one final thing!” The girl grit her teeth, dropping her head, hair falling over her face. “Mikasa!” Carla cried.**

Petra saw the state of Eren, he never got to mourn his mom

A small cry left Mikasa's mouth, she buried her head into Armins shoulder who held onto her tightly

**“No!” Mikasa sobbed as she gave the beam another tug. “I can’t!”**

Jeans heart panged hearing Mikasa cry out, Annie slapped her hand over her mouth. It was becoming to much

**“Do you want all three of us to die?” Carla demanded as the Smiling Titan drew closer. She gasped at the sound of retracting cables as Hannes landed in front them. “Hannes!”**

“He won’t be able to do it” Hange whispers 

“He’s still drunk” Moblit added sadly, holding Hange close 

**“Take the children and get them out of here!” she ordered as he walked forwards.**

Levi's breath hitched at his, he held Eren tightly. Eren clenched his teeth watching Hannes

**He smiled as he knelt in front of her. “That’s not our only option, Carla,” he said. “I’m going to kill that Titan and save all of you!” He leapt to his feet, running forwards and drawing his swords.**

People shook their heads knowing he won’t be able to, Reiner whispered “did we do this?” Bertholdt let out a strangled cry 

**“No, wait! Don’t do this!” Carla wailed.**

Eren cried out hearing his mom’s voice, unable to take the pain of rewatching it

**Hannes ignored her as he ran. For certain, I can save the kids, he thought as he ran. But this is my chance to give back the debt I owe.**

“Debt?” Mike whispered, not realizing he said anything

**Hannes froze with a horrified gasp, screeching to a halt.  
The Smiling Titan loomed over him, teeth bared in its unnatural grin, head tilted as it stared down at him.**

Everyone looked at the screen in horror, the titans face would never leave Erens head

Eren yelled and screamed seeing the titan

“Thats...a fucking monster” Oluo said darkly  
 **Hannes grit his teeth, shoving his swords back in their slots. Eren gasped as Hannes suddenly scooped him up, tossing him over his shoulder. “No! Hannes!” Mikasa gasped as he grabbed her around the waist, tucking her under his arm. “What are you doing?!”**

Mikasa and Eren cried out, Armin held Mikasa, Levi held Eren. The two were thrashing wanting   
to get out. But what could they do once they get out? 

**Carla smiled, tears in her eyes as Hannes ran. “Thank you, Hannes,” she said shakily.**

Eren couldn’t yell anymore, but he kept on sobbing. Wishing he could’ve saved her

**“No!” he cried, reaching towards her, as if he could still save her. “Mom!”**

‘Turn away, stop watching! Eren’ Everyone thought as the boy never looked away from his mom

**“Eren!” She reached out. “Mikasa!” Eren stared at her in horror as she reached out. “You must survive!”**

‘I'm so sorry mom’ Eren thought

**An image of Carla wiping food off Eren’s face as they stood in the kitchen, Mikasa holding a basket of bread while Grisha watched with a smile, appeared.  
She gasped, and the tears flowed down her face. She shook as she brought her hand back, covering her mouth. “Don’t go. . .” she whispered as she sobbed.**

Strangled gasps filled the room hearing the small cry of help. Eren started to hyperventilate as he cried, he didn’t hear her the first time. Levi kept on telling Eren to breathe, he needed to breathe.

**The Smiling Titan’s stopped over the house and Eren gasped as it tossed the roof aside as easily as if it had been made of paper and reached down, lifting Carla from the rubble.**

Mikasa turned away just like the first time, unable to watch this horror.

**“No!” Eren screamed, tears flying from his eyes as they ran. Carla struggled in the Titan’s grip, kicking her legs and slamming a fist on the iron grip.**

“She was still kicking” Sasha whimpered

“She lied to save them” Hange said with horror painting her face

“Please” Eren begged to no one, Eren shook his head praying it would somehow be different.

Everyone was crying, Soldiers walls were being broken down

**The Titan grinned as it reached down, grabbing her torso and yanking. Eren’s eyes were wide with horror as he watched it bring her to its mouth.**

“She was kicking, she lied,” Eren cried, leaning back into Levi’s hold. Levi flinched as he watched the titan break her back

Jean watched with wide eyes, her body folded the wrong way. It was horrific

**Its jaw stretched unnaturally wide as it slung Carla’s limp form into its mouth, and Mikasa looked away, eyes wide, lips pursed.**

Eren looked at the screen in horror, praying, hoping, that it was all a dream

Levi watched in horror, his mom died a slow death, nothing like this, this massacre

**Tears ran down Eren’s face as the yellowed teeth chomped down.**

Eren jerked forward letting out a heartbreaking scream as he sobbed, everyone broke hearing it. Eren was in hysterics

**Ribbons of blood sprayed through the air, drops of red falling like petals and splattering on the ground. “On that day, humanity remembered.” The red splashed on the ground, but Eren’s eyes stayed fixed on the Titan, tears on his cheeks. “The fear of being held in control by them.” The Smiling Titan turned, face and torso covered with blood, and swallowed, grinning up at the sky. “The humiliation of being imprisoned.” It turned, watching as Hannes carried the children away.**

“He never looked away” Petra announced horrified, how did Eren go on after witnessing that as a child

“Oh my god” 

“Look at Eren…” 

Everyone looked at Eren, seeing the crying boy. Levi held him tighter, whispering calm words in his ear. No one commented on the affectionate nature that came from the Captain. After a few minutes Eren calmed down, Eren eventually fell asleep. Exhausted from crying so much.

“Poor Eren” Petra said softly as she didn’t want to wake the boy.

“Wait..” Hange said slowly

“Why did the titan kill her before it ate her?” Hange said out loud, Levi didn’t pay attention to her comment but everyone else did. 

“Wait, you're right,” Jean said, shocked, everyone had calmed down. Mikasa rubbed her eyes and yawned

“Wait, are we sleeping here or are there rooms?” Sasha asked as she heard Mikasa’s yawn


	2. A Mastermind and Captains Tea by Stiri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone reacts to a fanfiction written about them, it is called "A Mastermind and Captains Tea" by one of my favorite AOT fanfic writers, Stiri !!

“Wait, are we sleeping here or are there rooms?” Sasha asked as she heard Mikasa’s yawn

A bang echoed throughout the room, multiple doors appeared in the room. Without saying anything Levi picked up the sleeping Eren bridal style and went into one of the rooms. Mikasa sprinted to the door to retrieve Eren but Armin held her back. 

‘Click’ was heard, everyone's head whipped to the door. Hange smirked

“It seems Levi locked the door” Hange said with a glint in her eye and a smirk on her face.

“Alright everyone go get a good night’s sleep I have a feeling we will be reacting to more tomorrow” Erwin sighed and walked to his own room, Armin ran up to him and whispered something in his ear

“Would it be okay if I stayed with you, I don’t want to listen to Mikasa talking about uh Eren all night” Armin said nervously, Erwin nodded with a smile. He also locked the door once they were inside. Only because Hange never fucking knocks and despite being commander. Erwin likes to sleep in.

Everyone was asleep except one raven haired man

Levi walked out of his room's bathroom wearing grey sweats and no top. He sighed in relief as he slipped into bed. He really needed that hot shower. He looked around and observed the room, king sized bed, huge room, a clean white bathroom, no dust, no stains… Levi nodded in approval. Levi got under the covers with Eren, he remembered the brat ever since he was young. Levi may look like he doesn’t give a crap but you can’t miss that bright of eyes. 

Levi pulled Eren close to him only to realize Eren hadn't changed out of his clothes. Levi picked up Eren again and put him on top of the covers, Levi went to go retrieve some clothes for Eren. The closet in the room had clothes inside them already. He got Eren a pair of snug shorts since Erens was stuck in his tight gear garments during the whole reaction. He also got Eren a big black sweatshirt so he wouldn’t be cold. He changed Eren quickly but didn’t pay attention to Erens lower half much just to give the boy some respect while he passed out. 

Eren was under the covers again with Levi, Levi looked at Eren softly. He quietly shuffled closer to Eren and wrapped his arms around him securely. 

Eren hummed in his sleep and nuzzled Levi’s chest with a sleepy smile on his face, everyone knew Levi had a soft spot for Eren. Levi would do anything to be with Eren but he doesn’t like those conversations, and he’s old enough to be Eren's father. Levi sighed and held Eren close to him, Erens leg hooked over levi’s, causing Levi’s hold on his hip to slide down to Eren’s butt. Levi froze and groaned. Eren has a nice ass (AND I KNOW YALL AGREE WITH ME) Levi was going to move his hand but Eren’s back arched into it so Levi let it be. The two went to sleep. 

**Time Skip to the Morning**

Eren groaned as he woke up, he slowly sat up in the bed. Only to realize he has no idea where he is, he stopped moving for a moment and turned to the right to see his clothes from yesterday. Eren swung his legs off the side of the bed and heard the door open.

Levi walked in and only had a towel around his waist, he just left from the bathroom. Eren looked at Levi but Levi didn’t notice Eren yet, he was thinking about some stuff. Levi walked to the closet and grabbed clothes, right before he dropped the towel he noticed Eren. Eren was a tomato, furiously blushing at Levi’s body. Levi was ripped to put it short, he has sculpted muscles and thick arms and legs. Levi smirked at Eren,

“See something you like?” Levi said quietly and Eren turned around to let Levi change,

Eren could barely breathe even though he wasn’t looking at the man anymore. Eren let out a strangled agreement “yea-uh huh” All Eren could think about were his muscly arms and how they could just pick him up and-

“Oi brat” Levi said seriously, Eren turned around to look at him. Levi was wearing grey sweats and a tank top, it made his arms look good~ but Eren wasn’t going to say that out loud. 

“Yeah?” Eren asked, Levi walked up to him and looked him up and down. Levi smirks

“Nice shorts” Levi mutters, “come out we probably have to go watch more crap, you ready?” Levi asked, Eren took a deep breath and nodded

The two men walked out to see everyone sitting already

“How’d you all sleep?” Eren asked, everyone responded good and smiled knowingly at the two men, confusing Eren at why tf they are looking at him like that.

Eren and Levi sat down and waited for something to come on

**“Welcome back”** Lora announced, everyone tried to find out where the voice was coming from but they stopped trying

**“Today you will be reacting to two things”** Everyone was confused but just waited for her to  
Continue

**“You will be watching the next episode today but that will be after you react to a fanfic, which is basically a story written about you guys, its not real but its based off of you”** Lora tried to explain

“Im sorry, who is writing these stories?” Erwin asks confused

**“Thats not important”** Lora said immediately, Erwins eyes narrowed

**“But there is something I need to tell you guys”** Lora says, her tone shifting to serious 

**“Any pain that you experienced in an episode you will feel it as you watch it, im sorry”** Lora said the last bit softly, Eren cringed and looked at Armin and then at his Armin

“Shit.” Armin and Eren said with wide eyes

**“The fanfiction you will be reacting to has also being turned into a sort of episode even though its never happened “A Mastermind and Captains Tea” by Stiri"**

Everyone waited for it to start, their chairs reclined causing Eren to lie closer to Levi. Armin shuffled over to Erwin and lied down next to him. No one else moved, the lights dimmed and the screen turned on. Narration was also being said out loud in the background. The voice wasn’t recognizable

**Captain Levi wandered around and cleaned after the shitty brats that apparently never learned to clean after themselves. But he rather cleans it himself than having them do it over and over again because they didn’t know how to clean properly. That made him even more annoyed.**

Chuckles went around the room at the Captain's dismay. Eren smiled at this, he learned to like cleaning with Levi even though it hasn’t been long.

The old levi squad smiled at this, they knew how uptight Levi was about cleaning and knew what he thought of their cleaning. Levi rolled his eyes at this, even though it wasn’t real it was accurate.

**And it seemed like only two of the 104th Trainee Squad actually knew how to be clean and clean after themselves.**

Levi raised his eyebrow at this wondering if they’ll get it right, people leaned forward waiting to find out who it is.

“Levi actually approves of someone else's cleaning?” Hange says with utter shock

**Eren Jaeger and that coconut blond head, Armin Arlert.**

“WAIT WHAT” Hange screamed out, everyone's jaws were on the ground except Levi and Mikasa of course. Eren turned to Levi and Levi looked at him blankly

“Is-is it true?” Armin asked turning to look at Levi with wide eyes, Levi rolled his eyes and nodded with a small smirk. Silence filled the room since no one knew what so say, Levi shuffled closer to Eren due to him being warm, Erens ears turned red as his body made contact with Levi’s.

**He snorted uncharacteristically, Erwin Smith so had it for the tiny blond it wasn’t even funny teasing him. But then again he couldn’t blame Eyebrows for his fascination. Eren had caught his attention too. Eren with his beautiful Aquamarine and Amber Colour eyes, showing his dual colors in a wonderful contrast.**

Everyone hummed to this, they all agreed Eren had gorgeous eyes, Eren blushed at Levi’s description

**He shook his head and decided not to think about that anymore and just focus on cleaning.**

“Wow Eren distracts Levi from his cleaning” Jean mutters but Levi heard and tch’ed at this

**After some time he had finished and made his way to the Mess Hall. There he was met with the sight of Eren and Armin in a battle of chess. He raised a perfect eyebrow. He didn’t even know the brats could play chess because it was more known to those with higher status. He could easily count the whole 104th Squad there and rolled his eyes.**

Everyone looked at Eren and Armin in shock,

“YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY CHESS?!” Hange screamed in excitement, Levi looked at her in disgust due to the noise level. Eren and Armin chuckled nervously and looked at eachother

“What's chess” Connie whispered to Jean who face palmed

“When did you learn how to play” Erwin said interested looking between Armin and Eren,

“Hmmm maybe it’ll say later” Eren said with a teasing smile to the two men.

**He went over to the table with Hanji and Erwin sitting there discussing something.  
“Ah, Levi we were just discussing the expedition you three went on,” Erwin said with a smile and Levi nodded. He glanced over to Eren and Armin and saw they were very absorbed in their game. It looked like they didn’t even notice the cadets around them pointing out different stuff.**

**He interrupted Erwin and Hanji when Hanji went into detail of what they had found in the chest that was buried there.**

“Hange’s rambles can go on for decades” Jean sighed, Eren nodded with a pained expression remembering how he stayed up all night with Hange

**“Did you know Eren and Armin knew how to play Chess?” he asked Erwin but Erwin shook his head.**

“I wonder how this person knew Eren and Armin could play” Hange said not taking her eyes off the screen, Moblit hummed and nodded his head

Eren looked at Armin who caught his gaze

“Wir haben es niemandem erzählt” (we haven’t told anyone) Eren whispered to Armin in German, Armin shrugged and whispered back “Ich weiß nicht, wie sie es herausgefunden haben” (i don’t know how they know) Erwin looked at Levi who also noticed, Levi shrugged.

**“No, I thought only those of the inner wall could play it, but it seems like they play it just fine,” he said with a smile and looked at Armin where he was chewing on his lip in concentration, making it somewhat plump and red in the process. Levi followed his eyes and snorted and picked up his tea and started sipping. But he made a look. A look both Hanji and Erwin were familiar with. A look that screamed how unpleasant he thought the drink was.**

“Uh oh” Eren whispered, “he's gonna blow” Jean snickered. Connie laughed, he remembered how scary Levi could be with his tea. Levi rolled his eyes and pinched erens ear

“OW” Eren screeched, Eren pouted and looked at Levi

“Why’d you do that?” Eren whimpered with a puppy face look, Levi didn’t say anything and just kept looking into Eren's eyes. It soon became too much for Eren, he was turning into a tomato and pushed his face into Levi’s chest. Levi looked at Eren with soft eyes and pushed the boy off of his chest so they could sit up straight. Eren looked at Levi in confusion, neither said a word. Levi lied back down but on his back, he patted the seat for Eren to lie down. Eren did and put his head on Levi’s chest, he could hear the man's heartbeat. Levi took the ends of Erens sweatshirt and pulled it lower so it would cover Eren's butt better. Eren blushed but kept on listening to Levi’s heart beat

**“Oi! Who made this?!” he said with a growl and glared at Hanji and Erwin who both shrugged.**

Some cringed at Levi’s glare, there were times when Levi was honestly terrifying. Eren chuckled at Levi’s glare, “the man loves his tea” 

Sasha said quietly, wondering if Levi loved tea more than she loved food… nah not possible Sasha thought with a smile.

**“Don’t know...?” Hanji said and Levi glared at them.**

**“And you made me drink it anyway?!” he said with a disgusting tone and slammed the cup down.**

Everyone in the room was silent, afraid that if they said anything Levi would kill them. A small chuckling sound echoed in the room, Eren was laughing. Levi swatted his head and Eren grumbled

**“We thought you had prepared it yourself...” Erwin said with a smile but Levi shook his head.**

“Now that I think about it, Eren mostly prepares Captain’s tea” Petra said with no emotion on her face, she did have a crush on captain but due to Eren, she had no chance. 

A few nodded

“Eren” Hange said calmly, Eren lifted his head off of Levi’s chest and looked at Hange

“How do you know how to make such good tea” Levi looked at Eren also wondering what the answer was

Eren sighed and quickly explained “My dad taught me when he taught me about medicine, tea is very very healthy and can seriously affect the health of someone, so he trained me to remember the types and their remedies” Hange nodded and wrote down his answer in her notes with a smile, Levi raised his eyebrow and adjusted eren back onto his chest. Nobody else could see the position the two were in except for Armin and Erwin, the room was spacious and Eren was grateful for it. Now that he thought about it Mikasa was being awfully quiet...

**“When would I have had the time to do that? I have been up all morning doing paperwork and cleaning after the dirty brats that you two insisted was a good idea to have over here,” he said and looked over towards Eren again and saw and heard him in triumph.**

“I thought he said Eren and Armin were good cleaners,” Sasha said confused, Connie shrugged and Jean sighed. 

**“Yes! Checkmate Armin!” Eren said with a big smile that radiated his happiness and smugness.**

Eren looked at Armin smugly who sighed, “Eren beat Armin?!” Jean said shocked, Mikasa nodded

“Eren is extremely good at chess, even though Armin is amazing at strategy, Eren is always the winner” Mikasa said softly

Jean looked at Eren with shock, Eren chuckled and felt Levi’s hand running along his spine under his shirt, Eren shivered at the sensation. A spark was felt between the two and they looked at eachother. Levi started to scratch Eren’s back as he watched and listened, Eren started to purr. Jean looked back at the screen after that

“Is he?” Erwin whispered to Armin while looking at Eren, Armin nodded with wide eyes. Hange also noticed this and wrote it down in her notes for later.

**“When will I defeat you Eren?” Armin said with a soft and fond smile towards his best friend.**

“So Armin has never beaten Eren?” Connie asked shocked, Armin nodded with a small scowl,

**“When you learn to think outside the box little bird,” he said with a smile and ruffled those blond locks that looked even softer when he was doing that. Levi glanced over towards Erwin and choked down a snort that was on its way out. Hanji was not so silent showing their amusement over how Erwin looked like he wanted to pick Armin up and never let him go.**

Levi and Eren smirked at this, Erwin cleared his throat awkwardly. Armin chuckled and snuggled into the tall man which Erwin accepted gladly. 

Sasha choked on her potato resulting in Connie and Jean slapping the hell out of her back.

**”Grow some balls, Erwin!” Levi snorted and turned his attention towards his brown fluffy head, that he liked to call Eren.**

Eren decided to sit up normally like everyone else and Levi joined him, he knew if he let Levi scratch his back anymore he would get addicted,

Eren smiled at Levi’s comment towards Erwin, their interactions were...family-like

**“Oi! Eren! Go make me some tea!” he called and Eren turned his attention towards his Captain and gave a brilliant smile at the order and bounced away to make his Captain his tea.**

“HAHAHHAHAH” Jean and Connie burst out laughing from the way Levi ordered Eren so suddenly, Armin and Erwin snickered,

“Captain Levi’s got to have his tea” Petra said smiling, Eren looked at Petra and he ached inside but he didn’t know why

**It was what made the other cadets scatter. They left Armin alone, making Armin pick up the chess alone and make his way over towards the three leaders table.**

**Erwin gave a smile towards the shy blond that sat down next to him, only a bit hesitant. No one has had the guts to go and ask to sit at their table, after all, they all were your leaders, but for some reason, both Armin and Eren had managed to worm their presence in there and keep their attention.**

Cough “Favoritism!” Cough Oluo spouted, earning him a glare from Petra and Levi

“Oh lay off of the boy already, suck it up, Levi likes Eren better than you” Moblit said sternly, Oluo shut up and Hange laughed

**“So, Armin, care to tell us how you two know how to play Chess? I thought only those of the inner walls were able to play it with their knowledge.” Erwin asked with a smile and Armin blushed under the attention.**

Everyone who didn’t know leaned forward interest, they were also curious

**“We learned when we came with Eren’s Father to the inner walls,” he said and looked a bit put out, so all three decided not to push their luck. They knew when Eren's father came up, both of them were put out or just plain angry.**

“Damn, his dad would go into the interior that often?” Jean whispered with wide eyes, Sasha drooled

“I bet they have great meat in the inner walls” Sasha said with slurred words, Connie sighed and furrowed his eyebrows at their comment on Eren's dad, 

“Why would they be angry when Eren's dad came up?” Hange asked with a tilted head, everyone looked at Eren with curious eyes. Not even Levi or Erwin knew yet, as it was only a few days before the expedition.

Mikasa decided to speak up, “There were moments, that Mr.Yeager wasn’t the best dad towards Eren” Eren looked at her with narrow eyes not wanting her to go further, Mikasa nodded and didn’t say anything else

Armin sat up and also spoke “Eren’s dad practically abandoned him after the fall, we don’t know where he is, if he’s still alive then its just wrong, everyone knows the name Eren Yeager right now, he could find Eren with ease but he hasn’t” Levi and Erwins eyes narrowed at this, Eren had a fucked up childhood. Eren sighed and kept watching the screen despite all the eyes on him

**“So, Eren won?” Erwin teased Armin, who started pouting.**

**“I have never won a game against him,” Armin said with a pout. Erwin looked like he wanted nothing but devour him right there and now.**

“Jeez Erwin” Levi scoffed and looked at the man with disgust,

Erwin and Armin blushed with embarrassment, Eren chuckled as did everyone else

**”How come?” Hanji asked with a curious voice and Armin pouted even more.**

“Are you ready to write stuff down?” Moblit asked Hange, she nodded excitedly

**“You don’t see it, do you? I don’t really blame you, but Eren is what people would consider a Mastermind, I have tried to defeat him in Chess for as long as we know what it is and how to play it, but every time I make a move, he has me figured out and already know how to sidestep my effort in at least 10 ways!” Armin said in a frustrated voice and pouted and started fiddling around with the hem of the jacket.**

“Woah” Connie said shocked, Jean looked at Eren with surprise “So wait you’re not a total dumbass?” Jean asked sincerely, Eren looked at him offended “go to hell Horse face” Eren sneered, Jean glared back with narrowed eyes “no you, ya suicidal bastard” Jean grumbled,

Levi rolled his eyes and sighed “Shut it you brats” Levi said in a stern voice,

“So would Eren be good at strategy when it came to missions?” Petra asked, Eren shook his head no, 

“Armin is more sensible with that stuff, I'm good at chess but mission strategy is different. In chess I have to predict all of the different moves the opponent will make, and what to do after and after that. However with mission strategy, the possible future moves are not clear, and they are less predictable which Armin is good at. Armin can create next moves to unpredictable circumstances well,” Eren explained gesturing with his hands as he talked, Petra nodded along understanding as Eren talked

“I see, that honestly makes sense” Petra said with raised eyebrows

Erwin, on the other hand, was curious how Eren would play against him, while he was good, he wouldn’t say he was a master at chess, but no one had come close to defeat him in Chess because his strategy was just not something many could say they understood.

“Where did you learn how to play chess commander?” Eren asked with a smile, Erwin looked up as if he was remembering something and then looked at Eren,

“My father taught me, he is sadly not around anymore….” Erwin said with a sad smile, Eren nodded with understanding

“We should definitely play one day” Eren added with a puppy smile, Erwin smiled back warmly and nodded

**“Maybe I should play against him, I’ve always wanted a Challenge, and from the looks of things, Eren, just like me, has never been defeated in a game of chess,” Erwin said with a touch of humorous smile and Armin nodded, only a bit hesitant.**

“Oooo~ this just got interesting” Sasha said with a potato in her hand

**It was then Eren came back with a tray of cups and snacks. Levi turned his attention towards Eren that put the tray down and smiled.**

“Thats so cute” Krista cooed, Ymir cooed at how cute Krista was acting,

**“Tea and biscuits for my Captain,” he said with a big smile. Making Hanji giggle, Erwin smile, Armin snort and Levi glared. But not at Eren. He could never glare at his adorable fluff head. Not that it would help, Eren would only keep smiling with that wide grin of his and his eyes would sparkle even more in amusement. Or he would pretend to get hurt and pout and turn those puppy eyes up to full power and Levi would cave in and apologize. Not that Levi would admit that Eren could play him quite often with that look.**

“You hear that Eren? You’re Levi’s adorable fluff head” Jean said in a childish voice, Eren rolled his eyes

“Come on I think its cute” Krista protested, Mikasa shook her head showing opposition against the relationship,

“I don’t like short with EreH” Mikasa emphasized glaring at Levi, Eren shrunk in his seat but kept his head up

“Hey Eren? Could you teach me how to make biscuits?” Sasha asked with a smile, Eren nodded and gave her a thumbs up. Sasha yelled out a big “YES” in victory

**No one would actually dare to point that out either, so it was a System only between those two. But you could clearly see that Levi favorites Eren to the point of doting on him.**

“MhMMM” Ymir hummed loudly while looking at Levi who looked at her blankly, she shrugged not giving a crap,

“Because Eren be getting that D-” Jean said with a smirk but Sasha and Connie slapped their hands over his mouth

Eren turned around slowly and gave Jean a death glare which turned into a lil smile, Eren mouthed “Not yet” Jean, Connie and Sasha choked

**It was Erwin that interrupted Levi that was going to make Eren sit next to him. Many glanced their way, but never voiced their opinion. They had never seen their three leaders take Cadets under their wings like Eren and Armin before. And they couldn’t figure out why those two were so special either. After all, they had never done something grand.**

COugh “Exactly” Cough Oluo said like the salty bread stick he is, Gunther rolled his eyes in exasperation

“Eren can turn into a fucking titan HOW IS THAT NOT GRAND?!” Hange jumped up and yelled with heart eyes thinking about titans

“Fucking titan freak” Levi whispered about Hange causing Eren so giggle

**“Eren, I heard you are amazing at Chess, you want to play a game?” Erwin asked with a smile and Eren looked up from where he served a cup of tea to Levi.**

“Alright everyone place your bets, who do you think is going to win” Ymir said with a smirk, 

“Eren” Mikasa and Armin said, Armin looked at Erwin with a ‘sorry’ face

“Erwin” Connie and Jean said, “I think Eren will” Sasha said,

“Eren” the whole Levi squad said except Oluo who whispered “Erwin”,

Eren turned around and looked at them with big sparkly eyes, all of them clutched the heart of their shirts at how cute Eren looked, 

“Oi brat you're gonna kill them with your puppy eyes” Levi said, Eren turned at him and Levi melted inside. Levi ruffled Eren's hair and Eren smiled

“Eren will win” Levi said, Hange and Mike shook their head, “I think Erwin will” 

Eren looked at Levi with big eyes, “Oi don’t look at me like that” Levi tried to say sternly, those eyes could bring down a whole army Levi thought

“I think Erwin will win”Bertholdt and Annie said, Reiner shook his head and said “Eren”

“Eren” Krista said, “Erwin” Ymir said at the same time, Krista glared at her like a puppy

“Eren” Moblit said knowingly, Hange turned to him in shock, he raised his hands in defense “What? Its just my opinion” Moblit said with raised eyebrows

“Yes! Why not?” he said with a smile and Levi snorted and pulled Eren down next to him and right across Erwin and Armin. Hanji was at the side, looking like they would burst out with excitement.

Some turned to look at Hange and she was vibrating in her seat, 

‘I think Eren will win’ Erwin thought, ‘if what Armin said is true, he will definitely win’

**Armin smiled and started putting up their chess in the middle.**

**All three leaders admired the glass that the game was made in. It made somewhat their own in Marble be in the shadows. It looked like an expensive one. But they didn’t say anything.**

“Where did you get that chess board?” Erwin asked Eren, Eren smiled and said “I won it after the fall, I used to play some of the higher ups to get money for Amin and Mikasa so we could eat. I won it in a chess game with one of those higher ups I would play with and my condition was that If I won that I wanted the board so I could play with others” Eren explained with a serious face when he thought about what happened after the fall,

“What were they going to get if they lost?” Levi asked tilting his head, Eren sighed, a dark shadow cast over Armin and Mikasa’s face,

“They were going to get Eren, as a slave” Mikasa said darkly, Hange’s eyes widened

“You risked your life for a chess board?” Erwin asked softly with furrowed eyebrows, Eren nodded

“It was worth it, it was one of the things that kept us fed half of the time” Eren said showing no regrets

**Eren took the black pieces and started place then in the correct places, just like Erwin.**

**Both Eren and Erwin were both thinking deeply. Both of them were very calculating and it made a Challenge. Armin, Levi, and Hanji were looking at the game with big eyes. While Levi and Hanji were shocked because they had never seen anyone put Erwin in a corner before, and that Eren managed just that.**

Everyone leaned forward, waiting to see what happened nect

**Armin was shocked because Eren had never been this close to being defeated before**

“Oooo~”’s went around the room 

**Both Erwin and Eren were staring at the board and Eren made his move with a grin and Erwins sighed in defeat. It was not an I’m-not-angry-I-got-defeated sigh. It was more an amazed sigh.**

**“Checkmate Commander,” Eren said with a smile, a tired smile. He had never had a game like this be this demanding.**

“HOLY SHIT YOU ACTUALLY BEAT ERWIN” Hange screamed in shock, Levi glared at Hange for yelling so loud

“Well, I was not expecting that” Mike said with wide eyes,

“I wonder just how good Eren is…” Erwin whispered, Armin heard him and said quietly 

“Eren could probably go against the king if he really tried” Erwins thicc eyebrows rose but he didn’t say anything 

**“This game was the best game I’ve had in years Eren! Let’s do it again later,” he said with a big smile and looked down at Armin next to him. The tiny blond was looking even smaller next to his big form, and was bouncing in his chair in excitement.**

“Now we really need to play against each other” Eren said excitedly, Erwin nodded in agreement

**“That was amazing!” he said with a big smile and Hanji nodded in agreement.**

**“Yes! To think that Erwin found his match when it came to strategy,” they said and just like Armin, was bouncing in their seat. Levi nodded in agreement.**

“I think that would be Armin who is his match in strategy” Eren said looking at Armin with a smile, Armin rolled his eyes

**“It’s an amazing feat Eren,” Levi said with a small and non-existence smile and pushed a cookie into his mouth and Eren started giggling.**

“LEVI SMILED?!” Hange yelled, Eren looked at the screen in shock

Erwin looked at Levi with a smirk, Levi tch’d and held Erens hand, Eren released a small breathe and smiled

“The world is ending, Captain Levi fucking smiled” Ymir said with a serious face, Jean, Connie and Sasha burst out laughing

**“Thank you Captain, but it was a real challenge this time!” he said with a big smile. He started pouring a new cup of tea for his Captain and Levi just took it and started drinking it.**

**“Perfect like always Eren,” he said with a small smile and Eren started blushing. Both Erwin and Hanji smiled and Armin giggled at the exchange.**

“HE SMILED AGAIN HOLY SHIT GUYS” Sasha yelled with exaggeration, more laughs filled the room,

Levi rolled his eyes at the whole charade and focused on the screen,

**“Eren, what taste is this?” Erwin asked with a smiled and took and poured some tea for himself.**

**“It’s Chamomile tea, very tasty if I say so myself,” he answered with a smile and Levi nodded.**

“Hey Eren” Hange called to get his attention, Eren turned to look at her 

“Do you think you could one say give me a list of herbs and tea’s with their healing properties?” Hange asked with big eyes

Eren nodded with a smile

**Eren seems to always know what kind of tea he carved, and it seems like he knew what tea worked best with his mood. Today he was annoyed, and Chamomile always seems to calm him somewhat. The fact that Eren was the one that made the tea also made it a lot more pleasant to drink.**

“Ohoho?” Ymir smirked but also wondered if the affection that Levi was showing towards Eren in the Fanfic was just as accurate in their lives.

“And that is the end of ‘A Mastermind and Captains Tea’ by Stiri, you all can take a small break and then we will watch the next episode, That Day: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2” Lora said,

“That was cool” Connie said looking at Sasha who nodded, 

“Yeah I had no idea Eren could be play chess,” Sasha said, some of the people seemed to be stretching but Eren got a weird feeling and didn't move, something was going to happen. It seemed Armin and Mikasa also noticed

A loud bang echoed throughout the room,

A door appeared and opened, three men walked through it and into the room,

“Holy shit” Eren whispered with wide eyes seeing the men,

**Next chapter will be the next episode! I was planning on putting it with this episode but realized it’d be better to keep reactions in separate chapters**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://archiveofourown.org/works/13254495 
> 
> That is the link to the fanfic, I recommend to go check it out because Stiri is seriously amazing and they have two series with lots of fanfics, one of the series is "Sleepy Eren" and the other is "OneShots" they are absolutely amazing


	3. That Day: The Fall of Shiganshina Part 2

Eren watched the men walk through the doors, Levi, Jean and Eren stood up

Grisha Yeager walked though the door, Kenny Ackerman walked through the door, Marco Bolt walked through the door

“How are you here?” Jean said quietly, Marco looked around and saw everyone and then looked at Jean, 

“ I don’t know I just, last thing I remember was being eaten…” Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner flinched at Marco’s comment, Marco looked at the three but kept his mouth shut. Jean, Connie and Sasha got up and hugged Marco tightly and quickly explained to him what was going on. 

Eren was filled with rage and went to punch his father, Levi caught his arm and shook his head no at Eren.

“Eren, Mikasa, Armin…” Grisha said shocked, he looked down at his own hands and then back at them

“I don’t know how I am here Eren, I'm guessing you’re mad because you think I abandoned you” Grisha said slowly, Eren looked at Grisha unsurely and nodded.

“Eren I died, I didn’t abandon you, I died,” Grisha said, walking closer to Eren, Mikasa and Armin gasped. Eren shook his head in denial

“No no no” Eren whispered, Grisha walked up to Eren and hugged him. Eren hugged back tightly and said quietly 

“How did it happen?” Eren said quietly, Grisha decided he had to think of a quick lie, he couldn’t tell Eren what really happened yet

“It was a titan.” Eren shuddered and shook with anger, Grisha pressed a small kiss at the top of Erens head. Now it was Levi’s turn to talk to Kenny after he made sure Eren was fine, Eren explained everything to his dad. Grisha ended up sitting next to Mikasa who held his hand tightly, Grisha hugged Mikasa tightly. He missed his kids a lot. Eren sat back in his and Levi’s seat, Grisha looked at Eren who didn’t notice his gaze, Mikasa and Grisha were sitting close to Levi and Erens seat btw.

Everyone watched Levi and Kenny’s interaction closely, especially Erwin.

Levi walked up to Kenny with wide eyes,

“Well well, you haven’t grown an inch” Kenny smirked, Levi’s face turned into a sneer.

“Why are you here?” Levi said in a demonic voice, everyone felt shivers go down their spine when they heard Levi’s tone of voice

“Is that how you should act towards the man who raised you?” Kenny said walking closer to Levi, Eren sat up practically ready to pounce Kenny. Erwin also sat up observing the behaviors.

“You left me once you knew I’d survive in the underground” Levi growled with his fist clenching, Kenny chuckled and sighed

“I was obligated to by Kuchel,” Kenny said sternly, Levi froze for a split second after hearing his mom’s name. He hadn’t heard it in so long. 

“Why.” Levi said, not showing any emotion, Kenny looked at Levi and chuckled. Levi fucking hated his chuckle

“I'm your uncle Levi” Kenny said, matching Levi’s expression, Levi’s eyes widened. Everyone gasped in shock. Hange was writing everything down as fast as she could,

“Now are you going to introduce me to your friends?” Kenny said with his usual smirk, Levi sighed and gave him the look ‘we-are-talking-about-this-later-’ 

Levi turned to see everyones shocked faces and said “Kenny meet the Survey Corps, everyone meet my supposed uncle Kenny Ackerman” Levi growled out the last part, Eren gasped

“Ackerman?” Eren said looking at Kenny, Kenny raised his eyebrow looking at Eren

“Mikasa’s last name is Ackerman” Kenny’s eyes widened, 

“She must be part of the branch of the Ackermans, only Levi and I are in the main Ackerman family” Kenny muttered but it wasn’t loud enough for others to hear it. He looked at Levi with a almost sickening smile, Levi’s stomach churned

“Ne, Levi aren’t you going to use my full title?” Kenny said smirking, Levi ran a hand through his hair, 

“Kenny is Kenny the Reaper,” Levi said shortly, Erwins eyes narrowed at Kenny. No one spoke, Krista gasped and looked at Kenny

“Well well, never thought I’d see you again” Kenny said, smirking at Krista, Krista gulped and stayed silent. She hid herself in Ymir as she turned away, Levi looked at Hange who nodded and was already writing down what happened.

“Kenny why don’t you sit next to Mikasa, I am Commander Erwin,” Erwin said pointing over to Mikasa and shook Kenny’s hand,

Kenny sat down next to Mikasa, Grisha sat on the left of Mikasa, Kenny sat on the right. To Kenny's right Levi sat with Eren. Levi didn’t look at Kenny as he explained what they were doing and what happened, he held Eren's hand and looked at the screen. Kenny and Grisha noticed Levi holding Eren’s hand but neither said anything. Before the screen turned on Levi looked at Kenny and asked

“Am I an Ackerman?” Levi said quietly wanting to hear it from Kenny directly, Kenny nodded. Eren squeezed Levi’s hand. The tension in the room was thick but luckily Lora said something to break it

**“Welcome, Grisha, Kenny, Marco it's lovely to have you joining us, you will be watching the second episode “** **That Day: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2”** Lora said, Eren looked at Marco with a smile and Marco smiled back. The two would talk to each other later,

“May I ask what happened in the previous episode?” Grisha said confused, Eren released a shaky breath and Grisha noticed.

**“Last episode went over the fall of Shiganshina, which entailed Eren witnessing his mothers death as Hannes saved Mikasa and Eren”** Lora explained

**“Here is a clip from is, Eren you may close your eyes and cover your ears”** Eren did so immediately and Levi put his hands over Erens to make sure he didn’t hear anything. Grisha looked at the screen in horror watching the smiling titan put up Carla. Tears ran down his face, he covered his mouth. He looked at the titan closely,

“She ate her” Grisha and Eren whispered, Armin and Erwin noticed their use of the pronoun “she” how did they know the titan was female?

**“Here is Episode 2”** Lora said, the room’s light dimmed to focus on the screens

  
  


**A black-and-white image of a group of Titans attacking hordes of humans appeared on screen, fading from black as if folded out. "** **_They first appeared over a hundred years ago. Giant humanoid creatures with a taste for our blood_ ** **."**

“A hundred years ago isn’t a long time” Armin said with his hand on his chin, Kenny looked at Armin and decided to reply but then Erwin spoke up

“A hundred years its barely two generations in a family, which means there are people alive who would remember the titans showing up” Erwin added, Eren never thought about this so he was shocked

“Its because it wasn’t 100 years ago” Kenny said shortly, Levi and Erwin looked at him sharply but Kenny didn’t say anything else, Grisha looked at Kenny thinking ‘he knows’

**The image took on a red tinge as the camera swept to the side, showing humans bearing spears standing against the Titans.**

Hange looked at the spears, she didn’t write anything down but… her train of thought was interrupted when some whispered “that's just sad”

**"** **_The brute strength of these aberrations was more than a human many times over_ ** **." A sea of humans cowered in a gorge of the Titans walked around and through it, reaching down for the smaller creatures. "** **_Humanity was shoved to the brink of extinction almost overnight_ ** **." Hundreds of thousands of misshapen giants slunk forwards, expressions twisted, bodies unproportioned and horrific.**

“Where is that?” Hange whispered observing the pools of people walking through the big cracks/dips in the earth

“Hange that sounds like you” Connie pointed out referring to the narrative, Hange’s eyebrows rose

**The camera swept to the side, showing red Titans standing around a circular, stone Wall. "** **_The survivors erected three layers of walls: Maria, Rose, and Sina_ ** **," Each Wall, along with its emblem, appeared as it was named. "** **_Withdrawing behind them in relative safety for a hundred years_ ** **."**

“Do we know what the emblems were based on?” Armin asked curiously, Erwin looked at Armin in surprise. There were so many questions they haven’t asked, why?

Hange wrote all this down making sure they would go over it later on

Grisha watched, he wondered if the truth would ever be shown.

**"** **_However_ ** **. . ." Flames swept across the image, transitioning to the opening.**

**A rat looked up and scrambled over a rock, abandoning the crushed, bloody arm it had been nibbling at. A crow flapped its wings as it landed by a limp leg, shoe stained with red, and began pecking at the fleshy hands.**

Krista cringed and looked away, it was so sad.

Bertholdt and Reiner paled at the image, their stomach churned uncomfortably. Eren, Mikasa and Armin showed no expression, they watched silently remembering that day.

**The crow raised its head, blood soaking the feathers on its face and beak.**

**The bird let out a harsh cry as the camera panned over the destroyed city. Smoke rose from roofs that had caved in on themselves, crushed walls no longer able to hold up the weight of the splintered shingles.**

“Everything is practically destroyed…” Sasha whispered with horror, Grisha looked at Shiganshina with sad eyes.

“Brink of extinction overnight” Marco watched horrified, he held Jean's hand tightly who closed his eyes remembering that even though his friend is here, once they go back… he will be gone all over again.

**"Until then, a man apart from God. O, wretched, was I." A lone priest continued chanting, stumbling back, eyes wide with horror, as screams echoed around him. The ground rumbled with massive footsteps as a blond Titan with vacant, grey eyes plowed forwards, embers drifting through the air.**

“Annoying little shits” Levi muttered, Eren looked at Levi with wide eyes, he shrugged.

“Its true they are annoying as hell” Kenny muttered, Grisha looked at the man on the screen ‘how can someone believe a god will save them when the god didn’t stop the tragedy in the first place’ Grisha thought

**"And driven even as a plough by avarice." More Titans crashed through the ruins which, up until recently, had been a bustling centre of life. "Now, thou behold, am I here punished for it. Punished by the justice of God."**

“Reciting won’t change it, or help you so why waste your breath when you could be saying something more important” Ymir said with dull eyes

“Belief is a dangerous thing” Grisha muttered as he thought about Zeke and Marley

**A mother whimpered as she brought her child close to her, cowering behind a bookshelf in the corner of a room as a long-haired Titan walked by, shards of shattered glass in the empty window panes trembling.**

Eren shook at the scene and clenched his hands tightly, he took a deep breath, all he could think about was his mom.

Levi noticed Eren and whispered something in his ear, Eren nodded and relaxed,

**"Where covetousness leads, thou sees bourn." The missionary continued walking forwards, even as people fled, wailing in terror, in the opposite direction, book clutched tightly in his hands. "Upon the penance of these writhing, the Mountain holds no greater pain." Titans continued pouring in through the breached Wall, flooding through the rubble and flames.**

Everyone watched silently, in respect for all those who died that day. 

**"As greed has drowned our love for every good and right, so justice here doth chain." A woman rand down an alley, panting, and skidded to a halt, planting the palms of her hands against the building blocking her way. She turned, putting a hand over her mouth, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she stood shock-still. She gasped as a shadow passed over her and looked up to see a wide-eyed Titan grinning down at her, greasy hair falling around his face.**

**"No!" She screamed as fingers closed most delicately around her head and lifted her up, feet kicking as she screamed. "Let me go!" One of her shoes landed on the ground as she wailed.**

Rage coursed through Eren, Eren’s eyes practically glowed an angry bright green. Grisha noticed this and his eyes widened, why were Eren's eyes glowing?

A bang was heard in the room, everyone's seating arrangement changed and so did the seats themselves.

Kenny, Levi, Grisha, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Erwin, Hange, Grisha

The levi squad, Moblit, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, Ymir, Krista

Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie

The seats were gone and were couches again, really huge couches, they had arm rests between each person but could be pushed back for more room in case two people wanted to sit right next to each other physically. Eren, Mikasa and Armin moved their arm rest and sat close to each other with their hands interlocked. Grisha moved his arm rest and sat closely next to Eren, Eren rested his head on his dad’s shoulder and held his hand tightly. Levi watched and observed how close they were together.

**"Tethered, captive, merged with the clay." Screams of horror and fear sounded through the air as people ran down the red-splattered streets, maneuvering around rocks, buried in the ground as if they'd fallen from space—which they might as well have—and fires, still burning, smoke and embers rising into the sky. "And, thus, to remain so long as it pleases the Lord:" A panting man was snatched up by a quick hand as he tried to run and shouted as he was lifted into an air, held up to a face already drenched with blood. "fraught, fixed, earthen in heart and limb."**

Eren raised his head from his dad's shoulder and kept on watching, the Shiganshina trio held onto each other tightly. Eren’s jaw clenched as he watched the titans kill more people.

“Wait, why do titans have hair?” Connie asked, at first the question sounded stupid but not even Hange knew what to say

Grisha knew but he didn’t say anything, “Eren's titan resembles him, all other titans seem to resemble someone, as if they used to be…” Hange stopped talking as she realized the horrific conclusion she was approaching,

Grisha's eyebrows rose, the woman was smart. Hange wrote down her notes but denied the possibility of them being humans because they had no human in the back of the nape. Erwin noticed Grishas reaction and decided he would pay close attention to him.

**A beaming Titan with long brown hair lifted up a writing woman as the priest walked down the street, brandishing his bundle of straw. "What else may heavenly grace do for sins as ours?"**

**The man froze with a horrified gasp as he noticed a flat-faced, bony-limbed Titan looming over the bridge he stood on. "For we lifted not our eye to heights bequeathed. . ." He continued chanting as the Titan's fist closed around him and lifted him up, the Titan's golden-eyed gaze peering off into the distance, small, pointy teeth bared. He cut off as a chomping noise ripped through the air and his book landed on the ground, open pages flopping into a pool of blood.**

“He never stopped chanting” Armin said with wide eyes, no one else said anything, they couldn't understand how the man kept on reciting as he was eaten..

**Hannes ran through the gate, still carrying the shell-shocked Mikasa and Eren. Eren's eyes were wide and blank, tears still running down his face. He gasped and turned to look at Hannes, eyes burning with fury.**

Eren stiffened, everyone watched the screen closely. Grisha watched Eren's face on the screen, he looked traumatized. Grisha squeezed Eren's hand tightly with his eyes never leaving the screen.

“Look at Eren’s eyes” Petra said sadly, Hange paid attention to the change in Eren's behavior, 

Marco held his hand up to his mouth as he saw Eren

**"Argh!" Hannes stumbled as Eren slapped him on the head.**

**"What is it?" Hannes demanded, stopping.**

**"We couldn't saved her!" Mikasa raised her head to look at Eren as he shouted. "We almost had her out! Why did you interfere?" He raised his fist. "I almost saved my mother!"**

‘But you didn’t ‘ Eren thought guiltily wishing he could change the past. Grisha let out a shaky breath thinking of Carla's death. 

**Eren screamed in grief, slamming his elbow onto the top of Hannes's head.**

A few people flinched at Erens tone, there was so much sadness and anger combined.

“Why would you punch the man that saved you” Jean asked “Without him you guys would probably be a Titans dinner” Eren clenched his eyes and sighed, he turned to look at Jean to respond but then turned back around keeping his eyes on the screen

“I couldn’t see it that way back then… I wasn’t thinking clearly” Eren said quietly, Grisha squeezed his hand and Eren looked into his dad's eyes. Eren felt tears run down his face, he hid his face in his dads shoulder 

“Im sorry I couldn’t save her” Eren said quietly, Grisha’s eyes widened and he looked down at Eren

“Eren, I don’t blame you for anything, you were a kid, a kid, there was nothing you could do”

**"Enough!" Eren cried out as Hannes jolted his shoulder and threw him forwards. He landed on his stomach on the ground with a grunt.**

Eren gasped in pain as screen him fell to the ground, Grisha stopped talking and looked at Eren with concern, Levi’s head whipped towards Eren to look at him.

**“Don't forget, any injury sustained on screen will be felt off screen”** Lora announced, Grisha continued to speak when he realized Eren was okay, Eren got over the pain quickly as it was nothing. 

“And that's okay” Eren shook his head at his dad’s words, Levi, Hange and Erwin watched Erens reaction. How much guilt did Eren feel when it came to his mom?

Grisha kissed Erens head and wrapped his arm around him, Eren calmed down at this and kept watching,

“Brat should’ve been acting grateful Hannes saved him” Oluo spat, Petra hit him on the back of the head, but before Levi turned around Grisha turned to look at Oluo

Grisha's eyes looked deadly, filled with fury. 

“Don’t you ever say something like that about my son” Grisha snarled, Mikasa and Eren looked at Grisha with wide eyes. He never gets mad anymore.

**"Eren!" Mikasa gasped. She struggled free from Hannes's grip and ran forwards to kneel by him.**

Kenny leaned forward watching how the girl went straight to Erens aid. 

“I know you just watched your mom die but you kinda deserved that” Ymir said, Eren nodded in agreement

“I agree” Eren said softly

**"Eren." Both children turned around as Hannes walked forwards. "The reason why your mother wasn't saved was because you were weak."**

Grisha’s eyes narrowed at the screen, Levi knew Eren needed to hear that but still, it was harsh in a general sense

Eren noticed his dad’s anger and squeezed his hand

“Dad, DAD its fine I needed to hear that” Eren said with dull eyes, Grisha’s eyes widened. 

“Eren, I get it that you needed to hear it but that was fucking harsh” Jean said leaning forward

Petra nodded in agreement

**Hannes knelt in front of Eren, one knee resting in the dirt. Eren's eyes widened and he ground his teeth. He lunged forwards with a cry, swinging a fist forwards.**

Kenny observed the young boys strength, there was something about him and his dad, they were not normal either. Eren cringed at his younger self, the display of weakness and struggle, it was just embarrassing.

**Hannes caught his arm easily, the child's hand impossibly small compared to his. "I. . ." Eren wrenched his arm, but Hannes didn't budge as he looked down, eyes shadowed.**

  
  
  


**"The reason why I wasn't able to stand up to the Titan. . ." He looked up, eyes wide, a river of tears running down his cheeks. "Was because I didn't have the courage!"**

“And because you WERE FUCKING DRUNK” Ymir yelled out, Grisha felt sparks building up inside him but he calmed himself down. Eren could feel the sparks as he held his dad's hand but he didn’t say anything

“He told the truth, that was the best thing anyone could do” Hange said, Levi tch’d

“The best thing?” Levi muttered taking a sip of his tea

**Eren inhaled as he looked up, his own face wet. Hannes squeezed his eyes shut with a quiet sob and Eren froze, eyes wide. He looked up as Hannes stood and followed limply behind him as the soldier moved to take Mikasa's hand. "I'm sorry.**

“Can we pause the video please” Eren said in a choked voice, the video paused. Eren got up and ran to his room, shutting the door. Multiple people stood to help him but Levi stopped them,

“Just wait” Levi said quietly to the other people who wanted to help Eren, Levi walked into the room and locked the door behind him,

Eren was the bathroom curled up against the wall, “Eren” Levi said quietly, he bent down on one knee next to Eren, Eren looked up at him with sad eyes.

Levi brought his hands up to Eren's face and looked into his green eyes. Eren let out a shaky breath, Levi wiped away Erens tears with his thumbs.

“Why me?” Eren whispered to Levi, Levi caressed Eren's face softly.

“What do you mean why you?” Levi said quietly as he tilted his head, Eren looked to the side insecurely and then back at Levi. Eren shook his head and said “I can’t say it”

Levi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, his face moved closer to Eren’s, Eren gulped nervously as his eyes moved between Levi’s lips and eyes. 

“You don’t even like me,” Eren said quietly, Levi sighed. 

“Eren-” Levi started but then a bang on the door interrupted them, Levi cursed and stood up. He pulled Eren onto his feet, Eren yelled at the door when he heard another bang.

“ONE SECOND” Eren yelled, he looked at Levi and started walking towards the door. Levi grabbed Eren's hand and pulled him close. “Levi, don’t say you like me, I know you don’t” Eren said insecurely, Levi pulled Eren closer and held his waist with a tight grip. Eren's face heated up and turned red, Levi huffed and whispered out a small “fuck it”. Eren heard it but was too slow to react, Levi pushed Eren up against the wall, holding his wrists tightly against the wall. Eren looked at Levi with wide eyes, “Oi brat” Levi said with his face up close to Erens. Eren let out a small “yes?” Levi asked him a question but he wasn’t listening. 

“Did you brush your teeth?” Levi said, Eren nodded. His heart pounded having Levi so close, Levi removed his hands from Erens wrists and moved them to Eren's face. Pale hands held Erens warm flustered face, Levi leaned closer to Eren. They bumped noses hehe. Eren put his hands on Levi's face, his breath stuttered as he felt Levi’s soft skin.

“We barely know each other” Eren whispered, eyes locked with Levi’s. Levi tch’d but didn’t back away. 

“Do you feel it Eren?” Levi asked softly, Eren tilted his head in confusion. 

“Our connection.” Levi said “because I do, and I don’t need to know you well. And you don’t need to know me well” Eren’s eyes watered, a tear slipped down his face

“Why the fuck are you crying” Levi whispered harshly as he wiped away erens tears, 

“Because I love you but I can never have you” Eren said as tears ran down his face, Levi didn’t understand Erens words

“Im a monster” Eren said softly, Levi’s eyes widened and narrowed

“You are not a monster,” Levi said growled, Eren shook his head in denial at Levi's words. Levi held his head still and leaned closer in.

“Monsters don’t cry, they don’t have feelings” Levi said with dark eyes, “And here you are crying over a dumb thought thinking you can’t have me” 

“Levi” Eren said quietly, Levi looked at Eren with intense eyes. Eren’s knees weakened at the look Levi was giving him, “kiss me.” Levi’s lips brushed Erens and then attacked them. Eren’s eyes slid shut as he writhed against Levi. Levi moved his hands down Erens body as he moved his lips against Erens, Levi slid his tongue inside Eren's mouth causing Eren to arch his back into Levi’s body. Levi pulled one of Eren's legs up and hooked it over his arm. Pulling the boy closer into him, Levi’s mouth left Erens and traveled down Erens neck. Biting Erens neck and soothing each bite with his tongue as he sucked on the tan skin. Eren threw his head back when Levi sucked on a certain part,

“Ah!~” Eren moaned and slapped his hand over his mouth once he realized what he did. He looked at Levi who was smirking, Levi pressed a small kiss against Eren's mouth and Eren melted inside. When their mouths separated Eren smiled at Levi, and Levi smiled back. A bang on the door interrupted their moment, Eren groaned and Levi scowled. 

  
  


“Eren we have to keep this a secret” Levi said and Eren nodded with a smile, Levi rolled his eyes and pressed one last kiss on Erens cheek. Eren looked at Levi with a big smile, Levi felt warmth in his chest, he felt as if he could breathe easier

“You ready?” Levi asked Eren who nodded, 

“The minute you get out there I want you to call Jean horseface” Levi ordered with a serious face, Eren saluted to Levi’s ordered and walked out the door with Levi following behind him,

“Oi HORSEFACE” Eren yelled over to Jean, Jean stood up and walked over to Eren with his hands in his pockets.

“Feeling better you suicidal block head?” Jean taunted back, Armin smiled at this and Mikasa’s eyes softened, Grisha was confused but Armin reassured him its normal. Kenny looked at Levi and raised his eyebrow, Kenny knew.

“My mouth is shut Levi” Kenny said with his hands up, Levi gave him a short nod and walked back over to his seat but Erwin stopped him, 

“Be careful Levi” Erwin whispered, “I know” Levi said back, Levi walked over to Grisha and said quietly

“You have a good kid,” Levi said, Grisha nodded and gave a small smile. Levi felt a shiver go down his spine, Eren and Grisha really did look alike. A loud thud echoed off the walls, Levi turned to see Eren sitting on Jeans back holding his head in a headlock. Eren yelled at Jean,

“Yield!” Jean shook his head no, Eren pulled Jeans leg back and bent it, Jean let out a painful yell since he wasn’t flexible

“Horse face! Take Eren for a ride!” Ymir yelled, Connie and Sasha burst out laughing. Petra snickered at this, watching the two boys fight seriously was funny.

“I YIELD I YIELD” JEan wheezed banging his hand on the floor, Eren let go of Jean but before he got off his back, He laughed out 

“Giddy up you damn pony” Eren said as he whacked Jean on the head and then stood up. Sasha and Connie were on the floor dying with laughter. Eren stretched and extended his body,

“Ahh that was fun, alright let's continue” Eren said as he walked back to his seat next to Mikasa and his dad. Armin looked at Eren smirking, Eren nodded and Armin rolled his eyes. Eren took a deep breath and turned his eyes to the screen.

“You can unpause now” Eren said once everyone sat down, the lights dimmed and the video unpaused.

**Eren grit his teeth, closing his eyes as he followed Hannes. Mikasa followed, face down. She winced and pressed a hand to her forehead. The scene changed, images of a dark-haired woman lying on the ground in a pool of blood, open eyes dull and unfocused, and a blond man, slumped against the wall, stomach soaked in red, flashed onto the screen.**

Eren, Mikasa and Grisha froze, they knew what those flashes were from. ‘Please no not that don’t show that’ Mikasa said as she buried herself in her scarf

“Im sorry for my language but WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT” Connie yelled out, 

“Was that from titans?” Sasha asked confused,

“No” Eren said and then shut his mouth once he realized he spoke out loud, Erwin looked at Eren with a raised eyebrow. 

“It's not my story to tell” Eren added, Mikasa looked at him gratefully and Eren nodded

**She turned, bottom half of her face hidden by her scarf, to look behind her.** **_It happened again_ ** **.**

**“** Again?” Erwin and Hange whispered, seemed like it was Mikasa's has gone through something big

**Gentle piano music played as a man screamed, falling on his stomach. Massive fingers closed around his torso, picking him up as he sobbed.**

“Oh why do they have to play piano” Sasha cringed, the juxtaposition was just so wrong. 

Eren’s breath shuddered as he watched, the music made it so much more sorrowful

**"Hurry up!" the sandy-haired Garrison soldier who'd teased Eren with Hannes during the first episode shouted as people ran past him. "Go to the Inner Gate!"**

**"Get on the boats to escape!" The camera panned away, showing hordes of people gathered on the docks as soldiers filled the ferries. "Hurry, or you'll get eaten!"**

Eren, Mikasa and Armin’s eyes dulled, they were going to see more destruction once they get onto the boat, 

Kenny noticed the kids reactions, that day really was fucked up

“God there must’ve been so many that couldn’t even get on” Sasha whimpered,

**The gears rumbled as they began turning, and the first boat began cruising down the river, a light trail of rippled dragging behind it as it pulled itself down the cable.**

**The camera moved up into the sky, and the Wall changed into a flickering, black-and-white diagram. "** **_Outlier Districts like Shiganshina were designed to attract the Titans to specific spots along Wall Maria_ ** **," the narrator explained. Titans, red blemishes on the otherwise monochrome landscape, approached the District. "** **_Their function is to streamline security._ **

Hange wrote down all the information being given

**The image faded into the real Wall Maria, the Goddess's face cold and uncaring from where it sat, carved into the brick of the Gate. "** **_Intentionally built in this design was a flaw, where the citizens of Shiganshina could only escape through a single Gate_ ** **."**

“Fuck” Jean cursed hearing that, 

“Did they plan this shit? It was intentional?” Levi asked not showing his shock, but was he really surprised when he heard that?

“Yes” Grisha confirmed, Levi turned to him with a raised eyebrow

Grisha took in a shaky breath, “They knew the titans would be focusing on the people in the district and streets which gives the soldiers time to close that gate” Grisha explained

“But from what I heard it didn’t work” Grisha muttered, Levi nodded and saw why people said Erens dad was smart, the guy seemed to know the reason behind everything. So what was he hiding...

**A Garrison soldier threw a bag off the side of the boarding plank he stood on, and it landed in the ditch with a** **_thud_ ** **. "No personal belongings! We need to make as much room as possible!"**

Armin remembered his book that he had and sighed at the memory of leaving it behind,

“Leaving everything behind…” Petra said sadly, Gunther nodded “imagine all the pets that starved to death” Eld said, multiple people whimpered at his comment

“Oh god I didn’t even think of that” Sasha said sadly

**Armin stood on the deck of the ship, frowning as he looked into the crowds of people. "Armin," his grandfather said, glancing over at him. "Take a seat."**

“Is that your grandfather?” Erwin asked turning to Armin, Armin couldn’t take his eyes off the screen. He never thought he’d hear his grandpa’s voice again. Armin's eyes watered and he nodded

Erwin concluded that Armin's grandfather also passed away,

**"But Eren and Mikasa are still out there," Armin protested. He started, looking back up. "There!" Hannes spoke with the soldier standing at the edge of the dock, Eren and Mikasa in front of him. Armin raised his arm, ready to wave, then faltered, brow furrowing at the sight of his friends: Eren's eyes were wide, expression shadowed, staring blankly ahead, as if he didn't even register the people around him; Mikasa had hidden her face with her scarf and kept her face down, eyes**

**covered with her hair. "Eren. . ." Hannes ushered the two forwards and they stepped onto the boat in a trancelike state.**

Levi winced at the look in child Eren's eyes, other people noticed. Erwins hands clenched, maybe they could’ve helped but it was right after that expedition and they were too weak.

**"I wouldn't try to call out just now," Mr. Arlert said, looking down, brow furrowed, eyes hard. "Who knows what they've just seen."**

“Eren” Armin said turning to his friend, Eren turned to look at Armin

“When I first saw you and your eyes, I knew something bad happened but I could’ve never imagined that” Armin said with horror, Eren sighed and nodded

**"Heh?" Armin turned back to look at him.**

**"Hurry up!" The sandy-haired soldier backed up, slashing his hands through the air as a man rushed through the Gate. "Get out of here!" he cried, standing in front of two cannons.**

“They know the cannons won’t work” Levi said taking a sip of his tea,

**There was a rumbling noise as a Titan stepped forwards from behind a building. Dust billowed through the air as it crashed through an archway as if it was made of nothing, decimated bricks crumbling to the ground. The soldier stepped back with a terrified gasp, eyes widening. "Hurry!" he shouted. "They're right in front of us!" The camera moved over the Wall, dipping down to show citizens screaming as they raced for the boats.**

  
  
  


**A soldier beckoned others forwards as they rolled cannons down the streets. Hannes panted, out of breath, in a side alley, before running forwards.**

**The camera moved over the docks, crowded to the point of them just being a sea of heads and into the boat, where Eren and Mikasa sat, squeezed between other people like sardines in a can, backs to the ship's bridge.**

Eld and Gunther winced at the image of the squished environment

**"This can't be happening," somebody muttered**

**"Oh, God, please," a girl whimpered. The occupants of the boat suddenly gasped as shouts rang through the air.**

“Image how many people were traumatized that day” Jean said looking at the Shiganshina trio,

Eren sighed, “A lot of people didn’t survive after the fall, many starved to death” Eren said in a whisper as he watched

**"Hey!" a man screamed, pushing against a Garrison soldier as two more lifted the boarding plank. "What are you doing?"**

**"It's at full capacity!" the soldier shouted back. "It must depart!"**

Moblit flinched at the people pushing to get on board,

‘How many died? How many died all because there wasn’t enough room’ Hange thought,

**"Please, at least have our children on board!" a woman pleaded.**

Petra let out a choked sound at all the children who were left to die, 

**"There's nothing we can do!" the soldier said, arms held out to keep the crowds from jumping on the boat. "Depart!" he shouted over his shoulder. The gears rolled to life with a rumble and began turning, dragging the boat through the water**

**"Let me on!" a woman screeched.**

**"Let me on!" The cry was echoed through the thousands of people as the boat rolled away, dragging a lazy wake behind it as it passed by at the pace of a snail, the people on the dock forced to watch as it moved by, impossibly slow and close, but unattainably far.**

“Watching it move so slow” Jean whispered, “Those families watch their last chance of survival slip away like that” Marco added with wide eyes, he gripped Jeans hand tightly as he shook.

**A man cried out as he shoved past a soldier and raced forwards, leaping across the ditch and grabbing onto the side of the boat. Another man followed his lead but cried out as his grip slipped and he fell, landing in the ditch.**

“That’ll slow the boat” Mike whispered darkly, Erwin nodded. Hange wrung her hands through her hair “If more people get on the boat it can sink and they could’ve all died” Hange said looked up at the screen from her notes.

Eren flinched at the noise of the man falling into the ditch

**Eren's eyes were wide and unseeing as he listened to the people struggling to get on.**

“Eren, how did you keep going after this?” Marco asked shocked and genuinely confused

“What do you mean?” Eren asked turning around to look at Marco, others turned to look at Eren and hear his response.

“I mean most people in your situation, they would’ve given up, after losing so much” Marco said weakly, Eren’s mouth turned into an O shape when he realized what Marco meant. Eren hummed as he thought of an answer

“My mom told me to survive and It is the least I can do to help her rest easy. I was angry, I vowed to kill all the titans and I intend to keep that,” Eren said confidently, Marco nodded in understanding. Jean looked at Eren as if he was stupid, 

“You think she was resting easy during Trost?” Jean said with crossed arms, Armin and Eren stiffened, Armin was the one to respond

“We don’t talk about that” Armin said with his eyes sharp, Erwin and Hange looked at each other after the interaction of what just happened

**A sudden bang echoed through the air as the camera panned up the Wall. People turned, looking up with gasps as columns of black smoke rose into the sky from the other side of the Wall.**

**A Titan walked through the town, seemingly unfazed by the bursts of smoke rising around it as cannonballs were fired at it left and right. "What are you aiming at, you idiot!" the sandy-haired soldier snarled.**

**"These things weren't designed for moving targets!" a dark-haired man protested as another Titan walked forwards to join the other.**

“There are so many problems happening” Sasha said anxiously, Mike raised his head and sighed.

“Shiganshina wasn’t prepared at all,” Mike said, sniffing the air, his head whipped towards Grisha. Mike whispered to Hange 

“Make sure that we talk to Dr.Yeager after this” Mike said, Hange wrote it down and nodded.

**"It doesn't matter!" The camera moved over the town, showing the countless Titans milling through it, some feasting, others wandering aimlessly about. "Hurry, and get it reloaded!"**

**"What's the point?" the other man screeched.**

“The point?” Levi growled, Kennys eyes shifted to Levi and then to Grisha, the man’s hands were shaking.

Eren started to shake with anger, his jaw clenched “Useless” Eren growled, “Useless bastards, you ask what's the point when it was your choice to join and become a soldier! Selfish animals” Eren growled the last part quietly, everyone looked at Eren with wide eyes.

“Well said Eren” Erwin nodded in approval, Eren nodded back

**There was a rumbling noise as the chains creaked and began moving, the face of Maria lowering as they began closing the Gate. "Huh?!"**

**The sandy-haired man turned around with a gasp. "No—the Gate!"**

**Another soldier turned slowly. "We're. . ." he broke into a run, "getting left behind!" More soldiers followed after him.**

“Oh now they start running?” Jean scoffed, Marco’s stomach churned ‘I should’ve ran that day’ he thought

**"Hey!" the sandy-haired man shouted.**

**Rusted metal gears turned, creaking against each other, as a Garrison soldier pushed a crank frantically. "Wait!" Hannes protested. "Don't shut it yet!" He stood in the gatehouse, arguing with another, dark-haired, soldier. "We've still got a lot of people left out there!"**

“Would they shut it?” Sasha whispered with wide eyes, there were so many people left there,

“They would'' Grisha and Erwin said, the two looked at each other briefly. Mike nodded,

“They have no choice, they can’t risk the titans getting into the inner gate” Mike said stiffly, Sasha whined in protest, Krista whimpered 

“All of those people…” Krista whimpered, Reiner flinch and clenched his fist ‘we did the right thing’

**"We can't let the Titans get through the Inner Gate!" the soldier shot back. "If that happens, the handful of lives left out there will be the least of our problems!" Hannes put his fists on his hips and the dark-haired man threw out a hand in frustration. "Humanity will be pushed back to the next Wall!"**

“Thats true” Mike said

**"But that's no reason to leave all these people to die!" Hannes shouted.**

“In the end it is the only good reason” Erwin said as he drank his water, “He is letting feeling’s cloud his judgement by sacrificing all those civilians, you are saving the rest of those on the inner parts” Erwin explained, 

“However Life is shit since that armoured bastard crossed that option out” Levi said bluntly, Reiner winced at Levi’s comment.

**Another soldier skidded to a halt at the door of the gatehouse. "Hurry and close it!" he shouted as another man ran after him, stumbling and crashing into the wall.**

**"The Titans are coming!" the other man reported.**

**The man Hannes had been arguing with whirled around. "Hurry and close the gate!" he ordered. The chains clinked as the Gate began closing faster.**

**Hannes gasped. "No!" he cried, rearing forwards, then gasped as he was suddenly yanked back. "Oi!" he shouted as the two other soldiers grabbed onto his arms. "Come on!"**

‘Maybe in another life he could’ve saved mom’ Eren thought, 

Petra watched and flinched, trying to fight titans without ODM gear, that’s just… a death wish

**He inhaled sharply, eyes widening, as a loud** **_thump_ ** **rang through the town. The soldiers froze, staring up at the ceiling as the earth shook.**

Eren inhaled sharply and clenched his fist, Mikasa’s eyes drifted downward to her scarf. Armin flinched at the noise, they all knew what was going to happen next. 

Bertholdt looked at Reiner with guilty eyes, Reiner shook his head and whispered to Bertholdt 

“They are devil's remember? We are the good guys” Annie sighed and nodded, Bertholdt inhaled deeply and kept watching

**In the boat, Eren gasped, looking up as the noises sounded all the way to the other side of the Wall. A Garrison soldier on the ground looked on in horror as a massive, plated foot slammed into the ground, sending dirt and rubble flying.**

Grisha winced watching this, wondering what would’ve happened if Eren never witnessed this blood shed. 

**The earth shook with every step the Titan took as it walked through the town, passing crumpled buildings and flames flickering in the streets. It stopped, and the camera moved up, showing the full body of the Armored Titan.**

Hange had a huge smile on her face with drool going down her chin, “LOOK AT THAT BEAST” she shrieked in excitement, “All that armour and muscle, I wanna get my hands on that” Hange said with her glasses shining. Reiner shivered in disgust at the thought.

Grisha looked at Hange with shocked eyes not knowing if he should be disgusted or just shocked. 

“Is she always like that?” Grisha asked Eren who nodded, “Hange is a titan whore” Levi said looking at Grisha, Grisha felt a bead of sweat traveling down his forehead

**The stunned soldiers stepped back as they stared at the ironclad behemoth. The Titan leaned back, armor creaking as it rubbed against itself, and leaned down into a running position, monstrous fists clenched, muscles tensed, arms out.**

Hanges eyes widened “Its intelligent, that position is very human based” Hange stated as he eyes glowed in excitement,

“It's a shifter” Grisha stated, everyone's heads whipped towards Grisha who gulped, Reiner ran a hand through his hair anxiously, Erwin looked at Grisha with narrowed eyes. Eren also turned his head to look at his dad.

“What exactly do you know about titans, because it seems your basement holds the secrets to them” Erwin said with intimidating eyes, Grisha sighed and nodded 

“I can’t tell you yet, soon but not yet” Grisha said, wringing his hands together in a stressed manner

**"A great foot kicked up dirt as it charged forwards, tiles being ripped from roofs from the force of it as it sped down the street, each massive footstep spurring a small earthquake. "What is that?" The sandy-haired man leaned back with a high, squeaky gasp of horror as the Armored ran down the street, eyes blazing. "He's. . ." He grit his teeth and pointed forwards. "Fire!"**

“Its fast” Armin observed but tilted his head, “However, with all the armour it has, that means whatever its weaknesses are can be deadly” Armin raised his head taking in all the information. Hange heard Armin and nodded as she wrote it down.

**The cannons jerked as ammunition was fired at the Armored, and the camera zoomed forwards from the inside of one of the barrels, following the perspective of a cannonball as it flew at the Titan. There was a crackling explosion as it slammed into its shoulder.**

Reiner felt the urge to massage his shoulder as he felt a sharp pain in it but he didn’t, it would look too suspicious.

**The wound didn't deter the Armored—rather, it spurred it on, and the Titan began running faster, steam rising from its damaged shoulder. "Huh?" the soldier demanded, leaning back.**

“Usually they inflict some damage, but that left no damage” Hange said, “How strong is it’s armour?” Hange said with excited eyes.

**"It has no effect!" Another man shouted.**

Armin pointed to the screen “no question about it being a shifter, it dodged a cannon ball purposely” Armin observed

**The ground rumbled as the Armored rocket past another, smaller Titan, which was felled quickly, arms flopping, as a cannonball tore through its stomach.**

**"It's a monster!" a soldier, turning and bolting for the Gate, knocking into the sandy-haired soldier.**

Reiner flinched at the word monster but Bertholdt squeezed his hand as comfort

**"Retreat!" he turned, running after the others as the Armored gained, tsunamis of dirt being sprayed into the air behind it. The soldier reached forwards desperately to the Gate. "The Titan is coming!" The Gate lowered. "It's charging in!" Soldiers and civilians alike screamed as they ran through the Gate, tumbling on the ground, screaming as they rushed to escape the Armored. "Hurry and close the gate!"**

“Seriously?” Eld asked rhetorically, Gunther nodded with a grimace on his face

**The camera zoomed around the Armored as it puffed steam out from its nostrils and gave another great burst of speed. There was an almighty** **_crash_ ** **as the Armored hurled itself through the Gate, chunks of stone flying through the air around it. Soldiers tumbled through the air, carried away by the force of the flying rubble, eyes wide, unable to even scream.**

Jean watched and winced, ‘I knew shiganshina was bad, but this is just…’ Jean sighed and remembered Trost, Would he find out what happened to Marco?

**The Armored skidded to a halt, heels and fist digging into the ground, kicking up a spray of suffocating dust behind it. It raised its head slowly, one arm still in the air, and the camera moved to show the gaping hole in the wall behind it as dust billowed out from its crash zone.**

“I wonder if the shifters realized what pain they caused,” Hange said watching the screen, Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt flinching violently. Fortunately for them no one noticed.

Grisha thought about the shifters and thought ‘they definitely knew what they were doing, probably those who saw the Eldians as devils’

**Hannes stood with two other trembling soldiers as they stared at the destroyed Gate in horror. He turned, staring at the crushed rubble inside the tunnel, still steaming from being torn through. "The Gate. . .**

**The Armored raised its head and opened its mouth, plating on its jaw sliding away to reveal a row of perfectly straight, square teeth. It growled as fire blew from its mouth, engulfing the area around it in flames.**

Hanges eyebrows rose, “Is he? Is he breathing out fire?!” Hange screamed, Eren's eyes widened ‘I wonder if I can do that’

**People stood on the boats, watching, almost awestruck with horror, as thick, black smoke rose from the city. Eren's eyes were wide as he watched the Armored stand up.**

“That fucking animal brought Humanity to the brink of extinction,” Eren said furiously as he re watched the sight of his home being destroyed

Reiner and Bertholdt could only reassure themselves that they were the good guys

“I’ve never seen Eren so…” Hange said shocked, Erwin sighed and agreed

“That was the last day of Erens childhood” Armin said quietly, 

“It was the last day of whatever childhood we had” Mikasa said squeezing Armins hand

**_Humanity's Area of Activity, Part 1_ **

**_This diagram illustrates the size of humanity's territory. Anything beyond Wall Maria remains a mystery._ **

All Annie could think about was how none of them knew that Humanity lived outside the walls, poor poor peo-devils

“Wait so you’re telling me the walls are squiggly?” Connie asked with confusion written on his face, 

“You expected 50 meter walls of that size to be a perfect circle?” Ymir asked Connie, Connie shrugged

**_Humanity's Area of Activity, Part 2_ **

**_Elevation increases as one approaches the epicenter of human territory. It is replete with many resources._ **

“Did you know that?” Erwin asked turning to Hange who shook her head no,

“It seems too coincidental that Humanity is built on a practical mountain” jean snorted, Levi’s eyes narrowed

“All the royals have access to the gold with that type of geographic plane” Levi said darkly, his eyes flickering to Kenny, ‘They have access to more than we know’ Kenny thought

**"** **_Southern part of Wall Maria._ ** **" The camera panned over the broken Wall. "** **_A few hours after Shinganshina was compromised, the news of the destruction spread quickly to all quadrants of humanity's domain_ ** **." The camera moved in the sky over the rich, rolling farmlands of Wall Maria, now abandoned and covered with a thick layer of smog, then down the river as it wound its way to Wall Rose.**

“Everyone was unprepared, it was right after a deadly expedition” Erwin said darkly, Mike nodded to him,

“When we heard, it seemed unreal” Hange said leaning back

**_South side of Wall Rose, Trost District._ **

**"Is it true?" somebody asked as the camera moved up, the military base in the centre of Trost shining like a beacon in the light of the setting sun. "Has Shinganshina fallen to the Titans?"**

**Dimo Reeves leaned forwards, a bead of sweat on his cheek. "I don't believe it. Those Walls were impenetrable for a hundred years. Why now?"**

Levi looked at the screen in disgust, Kenny was also looking at the screen in disgust

“Fat pig” Levi and Kenny said in sync, they looked at eachother weirdly and then looked away,

“Mikasa didn’t you encounter him during Trost?” Armin asked, Mikasa’s eyes widened and nodded

“Yeah he was blocking the gate” Mikasa said with a frown,

**A bearded man in red finery glanced over his shoulder from where he'd been standing, looking out the window. "It doesn't matter if you believe it or not," he said. "Refugees are flooding in." He turned around, frowning. "There have been at least five hundred accounted for in the boats."**

“Just 500?” Jean said horrified, multiple people were shocked, they knew that many people died but for only 500 to have escaped

Eren thought about all of his neighbors and everyone else, he didn’t even know how many starved after, Eren looked at Mikasa and Armin and it seemed that they were thinking the same thing.

**"The question is if they will strike again," a blond man with a pointy beard said, a hand to his forehead.**

“No doubt they will, seems like they want to kill us all” Kenny scoffed, Reiner flinched, there were three ackermans in the room right now. Fucking scary.

**A brown-haired merchant with a thick, curled mustache looked up at the man by the window. "How could they have penetrated through Wall Maria?" he asked.**

Levi crossed his arms, All Eren could think about was ‘why did they do it that day?’

**The silence in the dark room was broken by the blond man turning around and placing both hands on the table. "Whatever the case, we must contact the Capital and await orders. We aren't able to handle this scale of an emergency." Reeves nodded.**

“They are way too calm during this” Eren scoffed, Ymir nodded in agreement, 

“All they care about are the numbers, even if they don’t know about wall Maria yet, Shiganshina is like a slice of a cake to them” Ymir said with dull eyes, Sasha perked up at the mention of cake

Erwin and Mike nodded at Ymir's comment, the girl was right, all they care about is money and numbers

“Individual lives meant nothing to them” Eren whispered

**"Pardon me!" The merchants turned as a Garrison soldier threw the door open. "I just arrived," he said. "Wall Maria has been breached. The Titans have entered!" The merchants gasped in horror.**

“There it issss, that's the reaction we were waiting for, BRAVO” Ymir said sarcastically

“The fact that it takes wall Maria being breached for them to realize the reality of it” Gunther said with a glare, 

**Hannes stood on a roof, one sword out, watching as hordes of Titans rolled into Maria. He stared, eyes wide, face pale, spots of blood on his jacket, and a large red stain across his stomach. "This is the end," he said quietly.**

“Is he still alive?” Grisha asked looking at Eren, Eren didn’t respond. His eyes were glued to the screen.

“Damn Eren you really injured his head” Sasha said not realizing how Eren must feel right now, Eren flinched, he really needed to thank Hannes for saving him that day.

**"We're all dead," someone in the boat whispered, eyes wide as he stared at the ground, hands fisted in his hair as other passengers stared at the smoke rising into the sky, the echoes from the Titans' footsteps echoing across the Wall. "Humanity will be eaten by Titans again."**

‘That’s the plan’ Reiner thought, ‘All Eldians are devils, except us, we are not’ Bertholdt reassured himself

“Such beautiful scenery on such a sad day” Hange said bitterly

Eren nodded “Shiganshina had beautiful sunsets” Grisha whispered

**A short-haired woman sat next to him, eyes squeezed tightly shut, hands clasped together in front of her as she prayed quietly, and a young man sitting in front of them stared ahead blankly, tears flowing steadily down his face.**

‘How many children were left without any parents after this’ Sasha thought, thinking about her own parents and village.

**Eren's eyes were wide, and tears formed in them as he stared ahead, the light from the setting sun reflected in his iris.** **_We're finished_ ** **. He blinked, thinking back to him and Mikasa returning home for dinner earlier that day.** **_I can never go back to my home_ ** **. He thought of Carla walking up to him, tugging his ear and scolding him teasingly about the firewood.**

Eren flinched and clenched his fists, ‘I shouldn’t have yelled at her that day, it was my fault, all my fault’ Eren thought repeatedly. Erens heart started to pound and he started to claw at his neck in frustration 

“Eren Stop!” Grisha yelled, grabbing Erens hands from his neck. All the adults in the room watched with caution

“You will injure yourself if you continue” Grisha said with concern, Eren relaxed and put his hands in his lap. Levi relaxed seeing no reason to protect Eren in the current moment,

‘If hannes didn’t grab me, maybe Mom and I could’ve died together’ Eren sighed with a smile, ‘I would get to be with her in the end’ Eren thought. Mikasa looked at Eren with concern and Eren smiled at her reassuringly

“Don’t worry Mikasa Im okay” Eren said with a strained smile,

**A tear traced down his cheek.** **_Why?_ ** **He squeezed is eyes shut, remembering Carla seizing his shoulders after learning of his desire to become a Scout.** **_Why did I have to argue over something so banal?_ ** **Eren turned away from Carla after shouting at her and raced down the street.** **_Now Mom's dead_ ** **. He thought of Carla's smiling face, lit up under the sun as she stood in the kitchen.** **_She'll never_ ** **. . . The Smiling Titan lifted her limp corpse up.** **_Come back!_ ** **Carla smiled as she wiped at Eren's face with a napkin, golden eyes warm and loving.**

Jean gulped at this, he argued with his mom often. If that had happened to his mom he would be crushed, a huge wave of empathy washed over him for Eren. He didn’t blame Eren for being angry because he would’ve felt the same.

Eren closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to calm himself down, he didn’t want to get worked up again.

**Blood sprayed through the air as the Titan bit through her torso.** **_Why?_ **

Grisha flinched at the image of his wife being eaten by that titan. Was it who he thought it was?

**"** **_You weren't strong enough_ ** **." He thought of Hannes holding him back easily, proving his point without even meaning to.**

Eren clenched his fist in anger, Hannes was right, he was weak.

**_Because I. . . humans are too weak_ ** **He wrapped his arms tightly around himself, tears dribbling into his lap, jaw clenched as he sat in the shadows of the boat.** **_Can the weak do nothing but cry?_ ** **He opened his eyes slowly, staring down into his hand, blistered and bloodied by the deep cuts from the beam. A tear fell into his shaking palm, blending into the dried red stains.**

Hange looked at Erens hands, they didn’t heal yet. Which means he wasn’t a shifter yet… Hange wrote this down quickly and wrote down the question ‘When did Eren become a titan shifter’

Eren rubbed his hands as he felt the pain of his past injuries, Mikasa looked at him with concern but he didn’t notice

**He took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up, eyes cold, pupils contracted with fury. He clenched his fist, hand shaking. Mikasa turned, looking up as he walked past, fists held tightly at his sides. "Huh?"**

“And so it begins” Ymir says, Krista rolled her eyes

**"Those Titans. . ." She stood as he walked to the side of the boat.**

**"Eren."**

**"What's wrong, Eren?" Armin asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Eren snarled, shoving him roughly away. "Eren!"**

“Sorry Armin” Eren said with a wince, Armin gave him a small smile telling him he’s forgiven,

“So is this the moment Eren declares his hatred for titans?” Sasha says which food in her mouth, Levi wrinkled his nose in disgust at her manners

**He slammed his hands down onto the side of the boat, torn nails digging into the wood.**

**He looked up, eyes shadowed by his hair, tears flowing down his chin, falling into the river below. "I'm going to kill them all," he vowed. Armin gasped, eyes widening. Eren's eyes were bright with hatred as he glared ahead, unseeing and furious. "Every single one!" he swore.**

“Look at his eyes” Hange said mesmerized, “They are like glowing” Eld said, Gunther nodded

“They’re so bright” Gunther whispered,

“How much anger does that kid have in him” Oluo scoffed crossing his arms

**Armin stared, eyes wide. "Eren. . .”**

**The boat continued moving slowly down the river, the fading sunlight retreating as they sailed into shadow.**

Armin remembered how silent that boat ride was, it was enough to drive someone to insanity.

**Shadows of clouds drifted over Shiganshina, plumes of smoke still rising from the destroyed city. "** **_The Central Government decreed all mankind retreat behind Wall Rose_ ** **." The camera panned around a mountain, the forest floor dappled with sunlight as it shone through the branches of countless pine trees. "** **_Estimates held that nearly ten thousand livers were lost_ ** **." A horse-drawn carriage raced down a dirt road cut between trees, the animal's hooves clip-clopping against the hard ground while the wheels clattered on the uneven earth.**

Grisha sharply inhaled realizing it was him, 

“Who the hell would be going towards wall Maria” Gunther asked with wide eyes

**_Eren_ ** **. Grisha sat in the driver's seat, knuckles white as he clenched the reins, teeth gritted, eyes wide.** **_Carla. Mikasa_ ** **. He clenched his jaw, tears in the corners of his eyes.** **_Please be alive!_ ** **The tears broke free, running down his cheeks.**

Eren and Mikasa turned to look at their dad with glazed eyes.

“You came back for us?” Eren said with a small voice, Grisha gulped and nodded with a sad smile knowing he would have to tell Eren the truth soon.

“But why” Mikasa asked confusedly, Grisha looked at her in confusion, “What do you mean why?” Grisha asked

“Why didn’t you wait, with your status as a doctor you could’ve found us easily” Mikasa said with shaky eyes, Grisha shook his head,

“I couldn’t wait, I had to make sure you guys were safe but I also had one last thing to do” Grisha whispered the last part, Eren looked at him in confusion. No one commented on the interaction as it seemed personal. Eren and Mikasa hugged their dad and then sat back down.

**"—en!" A spark lit up the black screen. "Eren!" Faint shouts were heard as the spark grew into an unfocused flame.**

“I swear to god Eren if this is another one of you’re freakish dreams” Jean said glaring at him

Eren glared back and then watched the screen

**"Eren!" Eren, his face tinged with pink, furrowed his brow, eyes closed.**

**"Stop it!" Eren's cries were heard. "Stop, Father!" A hand brandished a syringe, drops of fluid flying from the needle. "What are you trying to do?" Grisha's wild, senseless face was shown for a moment before the camera whirled wildly, red light blazing through black branches.**

Hange, Levi and Erwin sat up straight, Kenny recognized the needle and so did the other shifters as they watched with wide eyes.

“What is this?” Hange asked looking at Grisha, Grisha sighed and rubbed his face

“What is in that syringe?” Sasha asked confused, Ymir looked at the screen with wide eyes, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Grisha

“Oh shit” Annie said in realization

**"Just stick out your arm!" The flame flickered on the black screen.**

**"No!" Eren wailed. "You've lost your mind since Mom's death!" A chime rang out and Eren's key, shining under the pink light, appeared, turning slowly on its cord.**

“Dad what is this?” Eren said with panicked eyes as he watch the weird memory unfold

**"Eren!" Grisha yelled.**

**"Let me go!" The syringe flashed on screen, and Eren furrowed his brow in his sleep, a bead of sweat on his temple.**

“Why don’t I remember this” Eren said running a hand through his hair, Grisha closed his eyes and inhaled deeply to calm himself

**"It's all for your sake!" The key turned against the black background. Grisha raised his arm, swinging down wildly.**

“This was when you gave Eren the key” Hange said with wide eyes, if she was correct, this was when Eren became a shifter

**"What are you saying?" Eren cried, legs flailing, fingers digging into the dirt.**

Some people winced at the ferocity of the scene, Eren struggling made them flinch

**"Don't forget the way to the key!" The key flashed on screen again and Eren jolted as the needle broke skin. "It's the way to the truth!" Eren kicked out as the trees overhead flashed again. "One day you'll understand!" The images flashed over each other in a dizzying, seizure-inducing mix, and the key fell to the ground as a bell began ringing.**

Erwin turned to look at Grisha sharply “And what exactly is the truth Dr.Yeager” Erwin said, Grisha gulped,

“Mr.Yeager what was that, that didn’t seem like you at all” Armin said with big confused eyes, Ymir shook with anger, she wouldn’t have chose this life for herself as a shifter, she stood up and pointed at Grisha

“YOU TURNED YOUR SON INTO A SHIFTER?!” Ymir yelled furiously, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie looked at Ymir in shock, ‘how did she know?’ Reiner thought ‘unless…’

Eren looked back and forth from Ymir and Grisha, Hange, Levi and Erwin looked at Ymir with wide eyes 

“Holy shit” Jean muttered watching the scene unfold

“LORA PAUSE THE VIDEO” Hange yelled out, the video paused

“Okay first, WHY WOULD YOU TURN YOUR SON INTO A SHIFTER?” Hange yelled at Grisha and then turned to Ymir “AND HOW DID YOU KNOW WHAT THAT SYRINGE IS?” Hange yelled,

“Shit.” Ymir muttered realizing the situation she put herself in, Grisha sighed and looked at Erwin,

“I turned Eren into a shifter because I needed to pass down the Attack titan and the… founding titan” Grisha said, clenching his teeth. Eren looked at his dad with confusion. Ymir’s eyes widened at the words ‘founding titan’ Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie were shocked, ‘how the fuck did Grisha get the founding’ Annie thought

“You were a shifter?” Eren whispered out and Grisha nodded,

“What do you mean passed down? What is the founding titan?” Hange asked confused, Ymir snorted 

“Oh this is so fucked up” Ymir said sitting down, realizing that Eren ate his dad. 

“I'm not answering any questions, I have already said too much” Grisha and Ymir said in sync, Hange was about to protest but Erwin stopped her

“If we need to know, it will show us” Erwin concluded, still eyeing Grisha and Ymir with stern eyes

Kenny watched Eren with close eyes, so the boy had the founding titan. Kenny sighed as he thought about his old friend Uri. He needs to speak to Levi soon...

**Eren's eyes widened with a gasp. The bells in the bell tower swung back and forth as sunlight streamed through the windows of the warehouse, dust particles dancing through the air.**

“That must’ve been freaky as hell” Jean winced at the violent awakening

**"Eren," Mikasa said, kneeling over him. "It's okay." She tilted her head. "You were just dreaming."**

**Eren sat up, rubbing his head. "I think I was with Dad," he said.**

“His hands healed…” Hange muttered, seems like he really did turn into a shifter

**Mikasa furrowed her brow, sitting up straight. "It was a dream," she said. She turned to glance at the side as Eren scratched the top of his head.**

**"Yeah," he said. He put his hand down and started, looking at his chest, where the golden key hung.**

“How come you gave Eren the key?” Hange asked Grisha, Grisha kept his eyes on the screen not saying anything

‘He doesn’t want to upset Eren’ Ymir thought, Hange tried to think further but was stumped

Erwin seemed to understand ‘He said he died from a titan, He gave Eren the key that night and said he had to pass it down, Eren killed his father it after he was inject and came out as a titan shifter’ Erwin put the pieces together but still didn’t understand, there were so many questions they needed answers

“The question is where did he go” Erwin asked eyeing Grisha who gulped, 

**"Come on," Mikasa said, standing up. "They're handing out food rations."**

**Eren blinked up at her, then nodded, tucking the key into his shirt before standing up and following her outside.**

“Do you just not question anything?” Jean asked Eren, Eren shrugged

**"I think this used to be where they stored all the dry goods," Mikasa commented as they walked into the crowded courtyard, filled to the brim with refugees as they milled about, waiting for food. "Now, it's where they corral the refugees."**

**Eren brought a hand up to his face, squinting and shielding the sun. His eyes widened with a gasp.**

**The courtyard was a sea of people, displaced civilians and soldiers alike. The refugees all wore identical expressions of desolate hopelessness and misery, shoulders slumped, heads down, as they stood in line for small, dry chunks of bread, and the soldiers frowned as they spoke to each other, backs turned to the Marians, brows furrowed and noses wrinkled.**

“Look at how many people there were” Marco said with sad eyes,

Jean winced at this image, he didn’t have to deal with hunger as his family was well off

Sasha flinched at the thought of no food, Levi knew what starvation was like, it was the reason why he was so damn short. He looked at the shiganshina trio, ‘just what did they go through after the fall’ Levi thought as he looked at Erens dull eyes

**A brown-haired Garrison guard scowled as he handed a small loaf of bread to a blonde-haired little girl, choppy bangs falling over dull, ice-blue eyes.**

“Annie is that you?” Armin asked pointed to the screen then turned around to look at the girl, Annie nodded, Eren’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You guys said you didn’t know about the breach and titans until a few days after, so how’d you get their so quickly?” Eren asked looking at reiner

“I was visiting a family friend that lived near the gate when the wall was breached” Annie said, the lie slipped through smoothly

Eren nodded and turned back around to the screen, Erwin eyed the quiet trio in the back

**Eren lowered his hand, staring in horror. "Hey, get in line!" He started at the sudden shout, glancing to the side.**

**"Shut up!" a brown-haired refugee in a dusty white shirt snarled, clinging onto the wrists of a dark-haired man, a bald patch the size of a small hat on the top of his head. "I haven't eaten for two days!" He wrenched his hand away from where it clung onto his collar and tried to shove him away.**

Eren, Armin and Mikasa shuffled close to each other, they had gone through tough times during that period of time. They had starved before and it wasn’t something they liked to remember.

“You guys didn’t eat for two days?” Sasha asked Eren with a horrified expression, Eren gave her a small nod

**"We haven't exactly survived," Mikasa said, watching the scene impassively, while Eren looked on in shock.**

**"Eren!" Eren turned at the sound of his name. "Mikasa!"**

**Armin rushed forwards, arms laden with three loaves of bread. "Armin," Eren said.**

**Mikasa watched with a small smile as Armin stopped in front of them, panting slightly. "Glad I found you," he said. "Grandpa scrounged a little extra by saying he has kids."**

Mikasa and Eren sent Armin a grateful glance and he smiled at them, Erwin nodded in approval. But he also wondered what horrors they faced in the slums.

**"Thank you," Mikasa smiled as he handed a loaf to her. Eren stared as Armin placed one in his hands.**

**Armin started as Eren glanced up behind him to where an ash-haired, mustachioed soldier stood, glaring down at the children. "'Ch!" He scowled, turning around and sulking off.**

Jean winced, remembering how they weren’t that welcoming to the refugees during that famine.

**Eren frowned, staring reproachfully at his retreating back. "What's his deal?"**

**"There's nothing we can do about it," Armin said simply. "There's a shortage of food." He glanced at the loaf in Eren's hands. "That's a whole day's ration." Eren stared down at the rough piece of bread clutched in his hand. "There are too many refugees. They were already dealing with famine before we got here." Four men struggled in a tight skirmish in the centre of the courtyard while soldier watched on, one hand on his hip, uninterested. "There's a strife between the locals and the outsiders."**

“Im sorry” Jean said quickly to the trio, they tilted their heads in confusion, Jean sighed.

“We weren’t that accepting of refugees and Im sorry how you guys were treated them” Erens eyes were wide, he looked at Armin and Mikasa who nodded.

“Thank you” Eren said with a small voice

**"Why are we giving out food to the refugees?" the man who had sneered at Eren, Armin, and Mikasa earlier grumbled as he watched the men fight. Eren and Mikasa looked up, hearing him. "Since the Titans broke through," he added, smirking. "They should've eaten a few more so there would be fewer refugees," he scoffed.**

Levi’s cup shattered as he gripped the tea cup, he was pissed and everyone else was too. Kenny looked at Levi’s cup, ceramic shards were digging into his hand. Levi noticed and picked them out, he started bleeding but he didn’t pay attention to it. 

“THAT FUCKTARD” Petra yelled jumping up to her feet “HOW DARE HE” she yelled in a demonic voice, Oluo shuddered and pulled her back down to her seat

Erens hands curled into fists at the memory, Hange looked at the man on the screen in disgust, 

“He would’ve made a great snack for Sawney and Bean” Hange said darkly

**Mikasa and Armin inhaled sharply staring at the men, brows drawn together. Eren grit his teeth, clenching his fists and marching forwards. "Eren!" Armin shouted.**

“FUCK YEAH EREN YOU GO GET HIM” Petra yelled, Sasha and Connie shook their heads

“Eren no!” Sasha yelled at the screen, Ymir decided to join in

“Eren yes” Ymir said leaning forward waiting for the fight to happen

“Not this shit again” Jean groaned 

**"It's for certain we'll have less food," the mustachioed soldier sighed, putting his hands on his hips. Eren stopped in front of him and struck out, kicking him sharply in the shin. "Ow!" A few people glanced over as the man stumbled and glared at the boy. "What are you doing, you brat?" he demanded, swinging a fist forward. Eren cried out as he stumbled, and the other man kicked out, sending him tumbling to the ground.**

Levi stiffened as he watched the man hurt Eren, Eren gasped in pain as he felt the impacts of the men’s fist and leg. Eren rubbed his face and then sighed, it wasn’t really painful.

“Is he really beating up a kid to avoid the fact that the kid is correct?” Jean said shocked

“Wouldn’t be the first time” Mikasa said through her clenched teeth remember the court scene, she glared at Levi who gladly glared back. Kenny rolled his eyes at the whole charade

**Eren pushed himself up, tears in his eyes, and turned, glaring at the men. "You don't know what it's like!" he shouted as everybody in the courtyard turned to stare. "You haven't even seen it happen!"**

“I'm not gonna lie, I agree and support Eren on this one” Jean said sitting back, “ The Garrison shouldn’t have been talking about stuff he didn’t understand” 

Eren turned around to look at Jean with a little smile

“Do my ears deceive me, did you just agree with me?” Eren said with a cocky smile, Jean tch’d and rolled his eyes

Connie shook Sashas shoulders stating “the world is ending! Horseface just agreed with the suicidal bastard!” Marco chuckled at this, Jean whacked Connie on the back of the head.

**"Huh?" the mustachioed man glanced down.**

**"How a Titan eats a human!" Eren screamed, red mark blooming on his cheek, tears pricking to corners of his eyes.**

“Eren I commend you on your wit and bravery” Gunther said giving Eren a smile, Eren smiled back,

Eld added to Gunther's statement, “but your bravery sometimes consists of stupidity and dumbassery and this is one of those times” Eren sent a small glare over to Eld, Levi smirked at this, Eld was right

Jean burst out laughing “its true Eren I mean do you want your ass kicked?” Connie asked with a grimace

**The man started then grit his teeth, marching forwards. "Shut it!" he snarled, raising his fist.**

**"He's sorry!" Armin cried, rushing between them. "He's frustrated because he's hungry," he said, arms held out in front of his friend. "That's why he lashed out," he continued, smiling even as his eyes darted side-to-side and his arms trembled, a bead of sweat on his cheek. "I'm really sorry," he continued, shrugging his shoulders and looking up apologetically at the soldiers while Mikasa rushed to kneel next to Eren. "Sorry!" He bent forwards in a sharp bow.**

“Armin completely saved you from the beating” Oluo said with a snort,

“Why would you do that, you’re just excusing their actions” Petra protested against Armins decision, Erwin decided to step in

“He just said it to save Eren, I don’t think he was that thrilled either” Erwin commented and Armin nodded 

**The soldier stared down, confused then glanced to the side. He grit his teeth upon spotting the judgemental looks of the refugees. "Yeah, well. . ." he grumbled. "You all won't starve because of what we're doing for you." He turned, stalking away. "Even kids need to have some gratitude," he tossed over his shoulder as he vanished into the crowd.**

“Damn Eren could you be more ungrateful?” Jean said crossing his arms, 

“That was before we…” Eren started but his voice died out, it wasn’t his right to talk about a past that involved Mikasa and Armin without their permission

Jean cocked an eyebrow at Eren

**"Okay!" Armin called, fake-cheery voice bright despite its obvious tremor.**

**"Damn it," Eren hissed, and his friends glanced at him. "I'm not going to be grateful to someone like him," he snarled, gritting his teeth, glaring at the ground.**

“Good for you Eren” Petra whispered, Oluo rolled his eyes

**"I'll go back to Wall Maria," Eren spat, sitting on a ledge while Armin and Mikasa stood in front of him, the shadows of the columns looming across the ground. "I'll kill all those Titans."**

“Jesus you really hate them” Bertholdt said weakly, Jean turned to Bertholdt and said 

“I mean can you blame him?” Jean said 

**"Eren," Armin said, tilting his head, smiling weakly. "You're not serious, are you?"**

**"I'm serious!" Armin jumped as Eren shouted, slamming his fists on his thighs. "I'm not like those stuck-up soldiers!" he shouted, shoulders tense. He picked up his uneaten loaf of bread and glared at it. "I don't want this!" he hurled it forwards, and Armin gasped as it hit his shoulder, juggling it frantically before it fell to the floor.**

Eren cringed at his past selves actions, throwing away food like that…

Multiple people gasped at Erens actions,

“What the fuck are you doing?” Jean asked with wide eyes, “Are you fucking stupid?” Eren sunk into his seat,

“DOES FAMINE MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?!” Sasha yelled at him, Levi decided to also comment

“Throwing away perfectly good food, what the hell were you thinking?” Levi said, his eyes dug into Eren's soul.

Eren's eyes dulled, he curled up into a ball, Armin noticed this and decided it was enough

“Don’t” Armin said standing up, “Keep your mouth’s shut, Eren might’ve been arrogant, but he sure as hell learned later on. You guys don’t know half of the shit we went through, THAT EREN WENT THROUGH” Armin yelled with his voice cracking as his eyes watered, everyone went silent at Armins outburst

“Armin” Eren said, his voice monotone, Everyone's eyes widened at how lifeless Eren sounded, Armin looked down as Eren and Eren shook his head. Armin sighed and walked over to Eren’s side, Grisha moved a bit so that Armin could sit to Eren and hold his hand.

**"Eren, you're going to starve!" Armin protested.**

**"Aren't your frustrated?" Eren demanded, leaping off the ledge marching forwards, fists at his sides. "You can't beat those Titans by accepting food through charity."**

Multiple people looked at Eren with disapproval at the food waste, Levi couldn’t stop the disappointment that coursed through him. Levi grew up malnourished and underground, seeing food thrown away like that made his stomach churn.

**"That's impossible! You can't beat them," Armin cried. "We have no other choice but to live within these Walls. If you're unreasonable, you'll die. Just like my mother and father."**

Armin's breath shook at the mention of his parents, Eren squeezed Armin’s hand. Armin gave Eren a small smile that Eren returned.

**"So you're going to bow your head to those bastards?" Eren shot back, glaring at the blond boy. "Aren't you embarrassed?"**

**"I have no choice right now!" Armin shouted, cheeks flushed as he yelled.**

“Back then Armin was the brains, Mikasa was the strength and I was…” Eren lowered his head, unable to finish his sentence

‘I held the rifle, Mikasa was the strength and Eren held the knife, Eren kept us alive during those two years of the famine’ Armin thought

**"People are just saying that!" Eren's voice rose as they continued arguing. "Why don't you continue living like cattle, you coward!" Armin gasped, eyes widening.**

Eren closed his eyes as he got ready for the onslaught of yelling

“YOU ASSHOLE HE JUST SAVED YOU FROM A BEATING HOW UNGRATEFUL WERE YOU” Jean yelled at the back of Erens head, for once… Eren didn’t have the strength in him to argue plus what good would it do. He agreed with Jean. 

“You are such a dick Eren” Ymir said, Eren felt a tear roll down his face, he grabbed the blanket and draped it over himself. 

Hange and Erwin noticed Erens mood shift, What was going on?

**Mikasa surged forwards, sending Eren tumbling to the floor with a well-placed punch to the cheek.**

Eren violently flinched as he tried not to react to the pain that coursed through his face, 

“Nice punch” Jean said darkly, 

“You deserved it” Oluo said snarkily, Eren nodded “I agree” He said, Jeans eyebrows rose but he said nothing

**"Mikasa. . ." Armin said quietly. The girl lowered her arm slowly, staring straight ahead. Armin turned to look at Eren, who lay sprawled on the ground.**

**"If Armin is a coward, then you and I are also cowards," Mikasa said calmly. "We've depended on other people to flee from the Titans." Eren forced himself up, turning to look at her as she continued speaking. "The food we have today is because of charity." Eren stared up at her, eyes wide. "There's no way that cowards like us could kill a single Titan."**

“What a plot twist, Mikasa is one of the best titan killers, Eren can turn into a fucking titan and Armin is a god at strategizing against them” Connie said with a smile and Sasha nodded in agreement

**Eren looked to the side with a small hiss.**

**"Just like what your mother said," Mikasa continued. "Surviving is the most important thing."**

Eren flinched, part of him wishing he died along with his mom. Eren didn’t notice that he said that outloud.

Everyone looked at Eren with horror, never expecting that suicidal manner to actually come from Eren. Eren cursed once he realized his mistake,

Levi looked at Eren with wide eyes, “Eren is that true?” Erwin said softly, Kenny wouldn't have given a crap about Eren but he feels a strong urge to protect him. He ignored it and just observed. Armin and Mikasa looked at each other already knowing about this.

Eren shook his head no “It's not true, I'm just upset, having to witness my worst nightmares all over again” Eren said softly, Hange and Erwin will talk with him later, Grisha stood up and walked over to his son. But suddenly a loud bang echoed through the room and Grisha vanished. Eren jerked forward and reached for where his dad was. 

Everyone was waiting for some sort of breakdown or outburst to come out of Eren but nothing did. All Eren did was sigh “It's not the first time he’s disappeared, I hope he's happy with mom” Eren said 

“Im fine guys, it’s just difficult to watch this” Eren said with a reassuring smile, everyone relaxed at this, Eren stood up and walked over to Levi, Levi set the arm rest back so Eren could sit next to him. But instead of sitting next to him Eren sat on Levi’s lap. Kennys eyebrows rose as he saw this. No one said a word, they didn’t want to take the chance of Levi killing them.

  
  
  


**She walked towards him, snatching the bread from Armin as she passed. Eren's eyes widened as she shoved the entire loaf in his mouth. "Mikasa!" Armin said.**

“AHAHAAHA” Ymir burst out laughing with Krista chuckling against her. Sasha snorted, causing potato to come out of her nose. Connie laughed at Sasha as she choked on her potato.

Eren smiled at the screen and leaned back into Levi’s secure hold. Levi wrapped his arms around Erens waist.

**"Eat it," Mikasa said, shoving the bread further into Eren's mouth. "You have to survive." There were tears in Eren's eyes as more bread than he could handle was forced deeper down his gullet. "I'm not going to let you starve."**

“Im so sorry for saying this” Jean said as he grimaced at the screen, “ but that movement and image with the bread, does not look like bread” Jean said referring to the pushing motion Mikasa was doing as she shoved the bread into Erens mouth.

Erens faced turned bright red once he realized what Jean meant, Mikasa’s face was flustered and Armin giggled. 

“Ew ew ew ew” Eren said rubbing his eyes trying to forget what Jean said

**Eren let out a small sob as he closed his eyes and tears flowed down his cheeks.**

“Who are you sasha? Crying when you eat?” Reiner asked jokingly, Jean smirked

They knew why he was crying but they weren't going to say it.

**Two Garrison officers stood in the streets as a river of people flowed past. "** **_A few days later, many refugees were put out to plough the fields_ ** **." Eren, Armin, and Mikasa stood next to Armin's grandfather, dragging hoes through hard soil, wrapped in rough woolen cloaks as flakes of snow drifted to the ground around them.**

The Shiganshina trio winced, remembering the harsh winters and the plowing.

**"** **_However, the shortage of food could not be resolved_ ** **." An officer stood on a raised platform in front of rows upon rows of men and women, other soldiers lined up next to him. Reiner and Bertolt stood in the crowd, watching the presentation with looks of shock that mirrored those of the refugees around them.**

“Ohh so you guys did arrive later” Eren said referring to Reiner and Bertholdt who nodded,

“Wahh look how young you two were” Sasha said pointing at the two boys

**"** **_The following year, 846, the locals and many refugees old enough to serve in the military were tasked with reclaiming Wall Maria._ ** **" A few Military Police officers stood on a dirt field, watching as people flooded past them.**

Armin’s eyes watered. Erwin grimaced and Hange looked away and down at her notes. Levi placed his chin on Erens shoulder and Eren leaned his head back onto Levi’s. Kenny watched Levi and how affectionate he was acting, ‘what the hell is going on’ he thought,

Mike tried not to think about that suicide mission.

**Armin stood in front of his grandfather, head down, as the old man took of his hat and placed it on top of his head before turning and walking after the other drafted militia.**

Armin looked at the screen with clenched teeth as tears rolled down his face. Erwin looked at Armin and put the pieces together, ‘these kids lost everything’ Erwin thought ‘no Erwin they are not kids anymore and haven’t been for a long time’ Erwin thought bitterly

**The earth rumbled as the Gate of Trost was pulled open and a horde of humans flooded down the destroyed street of Inner Maria. "** **_Of the 250,000 sent to battle_ ** **. . ." A Scout sat astride a horse, raising a sword while other soldiers around him raised their own, screaming with him. "** **_Roughly half of the population of that region_ ** **. . ." Civilians walked after the small group of soldiers, wielding pitchforks and other farm tools.**

Ymirs eyes went wide, she’d heard about that mission but never knew how many people were sent.

Marco looked at the screen with a horrified expression, “They didn’t even have horses, just sent out like pigs for slaughter” Marco whimpered, 

Armin wiped away a stray tear on his face “it was a death sentence, all to get rid of enough people due to the famine” Armin said bitterly

“They killed off that many people just to preserve food?” Sasha said horrified, Jean never imagined her saying that because he could imagine Sasha killing for food

“Yes” Erwin said shortly

**"** **_Only a few hundred survived_ ** **." Blood splattered the dirt near a severed arm, a single sword stuck into the ground next to two Survey Corps flags, fluttering in the evening wind.**

Krista let out a strangled gasp “Oh my god” She muttered, horrified at what she was seeing

“Fight to survive” Eren muttered, Mikasa heard him and looked at him with wide eyes. Those words always seemed to awaken her.

**"** **_However_ ** **. . ." Titans stood on a plain, silhouetted by the setting sun, clouds drifting through the cloudy sky. "** **_The sacrifice of all those lives helped resolve the shortage of food_ ** **."**

Kenny grimaced at the image, he would stick to slitting humans throats not titans...

**Armin sat against a wall, holding his grandfather's hat in trembling fingers, and buried his face in it, tears streaming down his face. Eren and Mikasa stood near him, watching as he sobbed quietly, shoulders shaking.**

**"It's all because of the Titans," Eren said quietly. "If we could kill them all, we would be able to go home." Armin sniffed loudly, moving the hat away from his face while Mikasa watched, face blank.**

“I mean was that really a good time to be saying that stuff?” Gunther said hesitantly, Armin nodded

“As weird as Eren may sound sometimes, his words somehow fuel people when they are in a rough spot” Armin said with a small smile, Eren smiled at Armins words. Levi nodded in agreement

“Hate to agree but Armins right” Jean admitted, Eren really did have a sense with words sometimes

**Eren squatted down next to Armin. "Armin," he said. "Next year I'm going to sign up for cadets training." Armin's eyes widened as he turned to look at him. Mikasa sighed, closing her eyes. "I want to get strong," Eren said. "To fight those Titans."**

**Armin looked back down at his hat, tears still swimming in the corners of his eyes, expression set. "Me, too," he said quietly.**

“Of course the suicidal bastard somehow convinced you” Jean scoffed,

**"Armin," Eren said, turning to stare at him, eyes wide.**

**"Me, too!" Armin said louder, raising his head, glaring ahead.**

Erwin nodded ‘more than what meets the eye’ he thought

**Eren frowned, but didn't say anything. "I'll go, too," Mikasa said, and he looked up at her.**

**"Mikasa, you don't have to go," he protested. "You said the most important thing was to survive.**

**"Yes." Mikasa blinked. "I'll join so that you won't die."**

Eren sighed at her protectiveness, he couldn’t blame her.

Kenny raised an eyebrow at this ‘So he is her host…’ he thought

**Armin and Eren looked up at her. Eren tilted his head a bit and stood up. "Huh?" Armin looked up at him.**

**Eren stared ahead, eyes full of determination. "All right," he decided. "Together, then."**

**Mikasa watched him and Armin glanced between them before nodding.**

“Ohohoho we get to see the trainee days” Hange said excitedly, Erwin rolled his eyes,

“I remember when Levi was a cadet” Hange snickered, Levi sent a glare her way. Eren snickered

**The sun shone down on the Cadet Corps from a blue sky littered with fluffy white clouds. "104th Cadet Corps Boot Camp starts now!" Shadis shouted as the camera panned down. Armin stood amidst a row of other trainees in the compounds before three instructors. A fence of spiked logs ran along the top of the ridge as Shadis stood in front of two wooden buildings.**

“Oh hell nah” Gunther said, Eld chuckled

“Can’t wait to see Sasha's fart scene” Jean muttered to Connie who snickered

**Shadis stepped forwards. "I'm your drill sergeant, Keith Shadis," he announced, glaring down at them, wide eyes ringed with dark circles. "I have no intention of giving you a warm welcome," he continued as the camera panned over the rows of soldiers standing firmly at parade rest. "Right now, you're all nothing but livestock to feed the Titans.**

**"No, even less than livestock!"**

“Ah so welcoming, gotta live a big warm hug” Connie said sarcastically as a response to Shadis’ speech

**The camera moved down a row of trainees, including Annie, who stared ahead impassively, eyes dull, an expression of boredom on her face, as if the training yard was the last place in the world she wanted to be, and Jean, wearing a small smirk as he stared ahead, eyebrows cocked arrogantly.**

“Annie looks scary as fuck” Connie said out loud, Eren snickered.

“Hoho Jean you won’t be smirking for long” Eren smirked, multiple people laughed Connie and Sasha especially. 

**Marco stood next to him, staring ahead, an expression of fierce determination on his face. Connie was next to him, a small bead of sweat on his cheek as he stared forwards, mouth a comically thin line.**

“I bet you wanted to serve the king or some bullshit like that, hah freckles?” Levi said bluntly referring to Marco, 

Marco sputtered and then sighed “How did you-” he started, Levi rolled his eyes

“We know” Levi said offering no explanation, Eren snickered at this.

**"I'm going to spend the next three years training all you worthless scum," Shadis spat as Reiner and Bertolt were shown, arms held stiffly behind their backs as they looked straight ahead.**

“Damn loosen up” Moblit said jokingly, Bertholdt scratched the back of his head awkwardly

**Thomas gulped as Shadis continued speaking. "I'll drill into you how to kill those Titans," Shadis continued. Krista was shown standing in the row in front of Connie, lips pursed as she stared ahead, Sasha standing a few rows behind them.**

Eren sighed sadly at the sight of Thomas and others did too.

“Thomas…” Jean said remembering how Trost took his life,

**"In three years, when you stand in front of a Titan. . ." Armin stared ahead fiercely, the sun glinting off his golden locks. "It's up to you to decide if you're still livestock. . ." Mikasa looked forwards, a thick strand of hair hanging over her face. "Or if you're a Titan-killing soldier that will protect humanity."**

“Woah Mikasa’s hair was long” Petra said with wide eyes, Eren nodded “she cut it because it was dangerous with ODM” Eren quickly explained

“Or the one who shits his pants” Levi muttered, Eren choked on his water and coughed at Levi’s comment. Levi patted Erens back and shushed him.

**_Yes_ ** **. A choir bell began ringing in the background as Eren glared ahead, green eyes dark, even in the bright sunlight, face twisted with hate.** **_That's what I will be_ ** **. The camera closed in on his face, clouded with fury.** **_I'll kill every single Titan_ ** **.**

“Eren looked tired almost” Petra pointed out, Eren nodded “I was” Armin and Mikasa remembered all of the sleepless nights Eren went through,

“How does Eren have no wrinkles from being angry so often” Jean asked genuinely confused, Eren shrugged his shoulders

“Oi brat you want to take a nap?” Levi asked and Eren nodded, Eren lied down across the couch with his head in Levis lap. Everyone started to converse among themselves.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any chapter ideas I would love to hear them so feel free to comment!!! :D


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